--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For what are we looking for if not to…" description: "\"For what are we looking for if not to please? I do not know if the desire to attract others comes from a superabundance of vitality, possessiveness, or..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/francoise-sagan-3194_attract_for-what-are-we-looking-for-if-not-to-pl_2346556.jpg" --- # For what are we looking for if not to please? I do not… ![“For what are we looking for if not to please? I do not know if the desire to attract others comes from a superabundance of vitality, possessiveness, or the hidden, unspoken need to be reassured.” quote by Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/francoise-sagan-3194_attract_for-what-are-we-looking-for-if-not-to-pl_2346556.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/francoise-sagan-3194_attract_for-what-are-we-looking-for-if-not-to-pl_2346556.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/francoise-sagan-3194_attract_for-what-are-we-looking-for-if-not-to-pl_2346556.jpg) > “For what are we looking for if not to please? I do not know if the desire to attract others comes from a superabundance of vitality, possessiveness, or the hidden, unspoken need to be reassured.” [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desire for approval may stem from deep insecurity rather than genuine vitality. **In simple terms:** Seeking approval often hides insecurity. Key Takeaway Address underlying needs before seeking validation. Themes desire approval insecurity Mood introspective thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - relationships - social media - creative work Key Concepts psychology self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - What drives your need for validation? - Can you find self‑approval? A Different Perspective Desire can become manipulative if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attract/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desire Attract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-attract-4383329/) [Know Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-desire-578724/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [Possessiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessiveness/) [Unspoken Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unspoken-need-3989242/) [Vitality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vitality/) ## Related quotes > [“If only my heart could abstain from love. The more I seethe with desire The more I seem to attract.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-ismail/if-only-my-heart-could-abstain-from-love-the-more-i-seethe-with/) [Hilda Ismail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-ismail/) > [“I turned my face to him and he kissed me, an unspoken need on his lips.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyndi-tefft/i-turned-my-face-to-him-and-he-kissed-me-an-unspoken-need-on-his-lips/) [Cyndi Tefft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyndi-tefft/) > [Many of us fear that we are not attractive or desirable enough to attract others. We have believed that we are "not enough." Today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/many-of-us-fear-that-we-are-not-attractive-or-desirable-enough-to/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [“Why is it that you don’t know what to do when there is desire? I’ll tell you why. Because this rigid decision of yours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/why-is-it-that-you-don-t-know-what-to-do-when-there-is-desire-i-ll/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“Science itself, no matter whether it is the search for truth or merely the need to gain control over the external world, to alleviate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-broglie/science-itself-no-matter-whether-it-is-the-search-for-truth-or-merely/) [Louis de Broglie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-broglie/) > [You perhaps now know that desire reduces us to pulp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bataille/you-perhaps-now-know-that-desire-reduces-us-to-pulp/) [Georges Bataille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bataille/) > [We don't even know what our desire is. We ask other people to tell us our desires. We would like our desires to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-girard/we-don-t-even-know-what-our-desire-is-we-ask-other-people-to-tell-us/) [Rene Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/) > [“Malachi make sure you know the desire of your heart is the right desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-leland/malachi-make-sure-you-know-the-desire-of-your-heart-is-the-right/) [Rick Leland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-leland/) > [Men know almost nothing about desire, they think it has to do with sexual activity or can be discharged that way. But sex is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/men-know-almost-nothing-about-desire-they-think-it-has-to-do-with/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) > [“Know what you desire, but, more importantly, why you desire it. That why was where the trick lay, I realized. Why was a land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/know-what-you-desire-but-more-importantly-why-you-desire-it-that-why/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [You know me, you know me all too well. My only desire - to bridge our division.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killswitch-engage/you-know-me-you-know-me-all-too-well-my-only-desire-to-bridge-our/) [Killswitch Engage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killswitch-engage/) > [We know desire is rooted in absence and yearning. What you don't have is often ten times richer than what you actually experience. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/we-know-desire-is-rooted-in-absence-and-yearning-what-you-don-t-have/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [“I know desire when I see it—and yet, this time, it slipped by completely. I was going for the devious smile that would suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/i-know-desire-when-i-see-it-and-yet-this-time-it-slipped-by/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“Desire is simple," he said. "Desire is something even a machine can understand." There was a stillness in the air that mirrored the stillness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-rose-clarke/desire-is-simple-he-said-desire-is-something-even-a-machine-can/) [Cassandra Rose Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-rose-clarke/) > [The problem for us is not are our desires satisfied or not. The problem is how do we know what we desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/the-problem-for-us-is-not-are-our-desires-satisfied-or-not-the/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) ## More by Francoise Sagan > [It is healthier to see the good points of others than to analyze our own bad ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/it-is-healthier-to-see-the-good-points-of-others-than-to-analyze-our/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“Every little girl knows about love. It is only her capacity to suffer from it that increases.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/every-little-girl-knows-about-love-it-is-only-her-capacity-to-suffer/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Writing is just having a sheet of paper, a pen and not a shadow of an idea of what you are going to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/writing-is-just-having-a-sheet-of-paper-a-pen-and-not-a-shadow-of-an/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“Nicole had put on weight. This is the effect which, in three cases out of four, unhappiness has upon women. The process of eating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/nicole-had-put-on-weight-this-is-the-effect-which-in-three-cases-out/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Art must take reality by surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/art-must-take-reality-by-surprise/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“We always want someone we've treated badly to be gay. It's less upsetting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/we-always-want-someone-we-ve-treated-badly-to-be-gay-it-s-less/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [A love affair based on jealousy is doomed from the start ... It is certanly a sign of love, but it's a sign that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/a-love-affair-based-on-jealousy-is-doomed-from-the-start-it-is/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“There is a certain kind of stupidity reserved for women's dealings with men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/there-is-a-certain-kind-of-stupidity-reserved-for-women-s-dealings/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [One partner is always more in love than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/one-partner-is-always-more-in-love-than-the-other/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Life has confirmed for me the thoughts and impressions I had when I was 18, as if it was all intuition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/life-has-confirmed-for-me-the-thoughts-and-impressions-i-had-when-i/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [It would be bad form for me to describe people I don't know and don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/it-would-be-bad-form-for-me-to-describe-people-i-don-t-know-and-don-t/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Whisky, gambling and Ferraris are better than housework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/whisky-gambling-and-ferraris-are-better-than-housework/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Illness is the opposite of freedom. It makes everything impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/illness-is-the-opposite-of-freedom-it-makes-everything-impossible/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“She said she didn't love him, and he said it didn't matter, and the poverty of their words brought tears to their eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/she-said-she-didn-t-love-him-and-he-said-it-didn-t-matter-and-the/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Art must take reality by surprise. It takes those moments which are for us merely a moment, plus a moment, plus another moment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/art-must-take-reality-by-surprise-it-takes-those-moments-which-are/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) [Explore all 111 Francoise Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) ## More Attract quotes > [The resources of our continent attract, more than ever, the interests of rich countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-bongo/the-resources-of-our-continent-attract-more-than-ever-the-interests/) [Omar Bongo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-bongo/) > [“A session of boasting won't attract any real friends.  It will set you up on a pedestal, however, making you a clearer target.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-session-of-boasting-won-t-attract-any-real-friends-it-will-set-you/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [You will attract everything that you require. If it's money you need... you'll attract it. If it's people you need... you'll attract it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/you-will-attract-everything-that-you-require-if-it-s-money-you-need/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [See yourself in abundance and you will attract it. It works every time, with every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/see-yourself-in-abundance-and-you-will-attract-it-it-works-every-time/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/men-do-not-attract-that-which-they-want-but-that-which-they-are/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“Of Course you can attract someone by Beautiful body ,but if you don't have beautiful soul than they will be with you only until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/of-course-you-can-attract-someone-by-beautiful-body-but-if-you-don-t/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [It's no surprise companies that quickly grow in value attract those who may want to also profit from the hard work of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-spiegel/it-s-no-surprise-companies-that-quickly-grow-in-value-attract-those/) [Evan Spiegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-spiegel/) > [If you want to attract people, you need to be like people you enjoy being with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/if-you-want-to-attract-people-you-need-to-be-like-people-you-enjoy/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [If you're thinking of debt, that's what you're going to attract.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/if-you-re-thinking-of-debt-that-s-what-you-re-going-to-attract/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“See yourself living in abundance and you will attract it. It works every time, with every person. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/see-yourself-living-in-abundance-and-you-will-attract-it-it-works/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [When you're great! You attract great! When you're average! You attract average!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/when-you-re-great-you-attract-great-when-you-re-average-you-attract/) [Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/) > [To attract more money, you must be attractive, in the sense that people will want and prefer your products or service over those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/to-attract-more-money-you-must-be-attractive-in-the-sense-that-people/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [“The "Law of Attraction" simply states: “What you think about, you bring about.” Whatever you focus on will expand and attract more of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/the-law-of-attraction-simply-states-what-you-think-about-you-bring/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Maybe the level of people you attract is what you supposed to attract. Maybe the few people I attract are the ones who know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redman/maybe-the-level-of-people-you-attract-is-what-you-supposed-to-attract/) [Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/redman/) [Browse all 496 Attract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attract/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For what are we looking for if not to please? 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