Simone de Beauvoir

Feminist existentialism

Modern influential 187 sayings

Sayings by Simone de Beauvoir

I am still a human being, a woman, and I still feel pain.

Unknown — Often attributed, reflecting her personal experience.
Humorous Unverifiable

The greatest scandal of the world is the one in which we must be happy.

Unknown — Often attributed, likely a philosophical musing.
Humorous Unverifiable

The drama of human existence is that one is always in a situation.

Unknown — Often attributed, reflecting existentialist thought.
Humorous Unverifiable

I have been as good as a man. I have been as bad as a man.

Unknown — Often attributed, a commentary on gender roles.
Humorous Unverifiable

The present is not a potential past; it is the moment of choice and action.

Unknown — Often attributed, general philosophical sentiment.
Humorous Unverifiable

The word 'love' has by no means the same sense for both sexes, and this is one of the causes of the serious misunderstandings which divide them.

1949 — The Second Sex
Humorous Unverifiable

I am a feminist because I believe in the equality of men and women.

Unknown — Often attributed, a clear statement of her position.
Humorous Unverifiable

No woman should be authorized to stay at home to raise her children. Society must be changed so that women can earn their living and children are cared for by appropriate services.

Approx. 1970s — Often attributed, reflects her radical feminist views.
Humorous Unverifiable

If I had to choose, I would rather have a God who is incomprehensible than a God who is comprehensible but also incomprehensible.

Unknown — Often attributed, a philosophical thought experiment.
Humorous Unverifiable

Man is a creature of choices, and his choices make him.

Unknown — Often attributed, a core existentialist idea.
Humorous Unverifiable

I have spent my whole life trying to understand what it means to be a woman.

Unknown — Often attributed, reflects her life's work.
Humorous Unverifiable

The greatest danger for women is that they will be loved too much, and not enough.

Unknown — Often attributed, a poignant observation.
Humorous Unverifiable

I choose to be free, and not to be an object.

Unknown — Often attributed, a core feminist and existentialist stance.
Humorous Unverifiable

I don't know if I'm a good writer, but I'm a good woman.

Unknown — Often attributed, a self-assessment.
Humorous Unverifiable

The problem with love is that it is a choice, not a feeling.

Unknown — Often attributed, a philosophical take on love.
Humorous Unverifiable

I am a woman who writes, and I am a woman who lives.

Unknown — Often attributed, a statement of her identity.
Humorous Unverifiable

The greatest strength of a woman is her ability to love.

Unknown — Often attributed, a romantic and empowering statement.
Humorous Unverifiable

I am a woman, and I am a human being.

Unknown — Often attributed, a fundamental declaration.
Humorous Unverifiable

I am not an object, I am a subject.

Unknown — Often attributed, a key concept in her philosophy.
Humorous Unverifiable

The truth is, I don't know what I am doing.

Unknown — Often attributed, a moment of vulnerability.
Humorous Unverifiable