Portrait of Simone de Beauvoir

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.
Self-Deprecating Unverifiable

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

Unknown — Often attributed, likely a philosophical musing.
Food & Drink Unverifiable

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

Unknown — Often attributed, reflecting existentialist thought.
General 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.
Self-Deprecating Unverifiable

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

Unknown — Often attributed, general philosophical sentiment.
General 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
Relationships Unverifiable

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

Unknown — Often attributed, a clear statement of her position.
Self-Deprecating 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.
General 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.
General Unverifiable

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

Unknown — Often attributed, a core existentialist idea.
Food & Drink 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.
Self-Deprecating Unverifiable

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

Unknown — Often attributed, a poignant observation.
Relationships Unverifiable

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

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

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

Unknown — Often attributed, a self-assessment.
Self-Deprecating Unverifiable

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

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

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

Unknown — Often attributed, a statement of her identity.
Self-Deprecating Unverifiable

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

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

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

Unknown — Often attributed, a fundamental declaration.
Self-Deprecating Unverifiable

I am not an object, I am a subject.

Unknown — Often attributed, a key concept in her philosophy.
Self-Deprecating Unverifiable

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

Unknown — Often attributed, a moment of vulnerability.
Self-Deprecating Unverifiable
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