Skip to content

Derrida Quote by Benoît Peeters

“After dinners in Ris-Orangis, Derrida would gladly offer to drive home any guests without transport. He enjoyed driving, and always went into Paris by car. He’d learned when still very young, on the job, with his father’s car. But since he had never studied the highway code, he had his own ideas…” quote by Benoît Peeters
Download Open image
““After dinners in Ris-Orangis, Derrida would gladly offer to drive home any guests without transport. He enjoyed driving, and always went into Paris by car. He’d learned when still very young, on the job, with his father’s car. But since he had never studied the highway code, he had his own ideas about it, which could sometimes lead to spectacular results. He considered, for example, that most ‘no entry’ signs did not actually apply to him, and that big roads should automatically have priority over smaller ones. At the wheel, he rapidly lost his cool. In traffic jams, he could almost get hysterical. And, to crown it all, whenever he stopped for even a short time he would start taking notes. In a letter to Éric Clémens, he indicated in a PS: ‘Excuse the handwriting, I’m writing in the car (what a life!), but I’ve stopped, not even at a red light. I’ve just thought of the title for a book: Written at a Red Light . . .’33 But while he was not a reassuring figure at the wheel, he never had an accident.””

Benoît Peeters

About This Quote

Source Book: Derrida: A Biography by Benoît Peeters, 1997

Derrida’s chaotic driving habits reveal his intense curiosity and disregard for conventional rules, yet his safety remains intact.

In simple terms: He drove wildly but never crashed.

Key Takeaway

Embrace curiosity, but respect safety.

Themes

curiosity nonconformity risk attention to detail

Mood

anxious reflective

Type

anecdotal cautionary

When to use this quote

  • driving lessons
  • creative brainstorming
  • note‑taking in transit
  • handling stress

Key Concepts

philosophy personal quirks behavioral patterns

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you balance curiosity with responsibility?
  • What safeguards can you add to risky habits?
A Different Perspective

His disregard for traffic laws could endanger others.

2.7 out of 5 (8 ratings)

More by Benoît Peeters

Explore all 41 Benoît Peeters quotes

More Derrida quotes

Browse all 52 Derrida quotes