Existence Quote by Jean-Paul Sartre
““I feel my hand. I am these two beasts struggling at the end of my arms. My hand scratches one of its paws with the nail of the other paw; I feel its weight on the table which is not me. It's long, long, this impression of weight, it doesn't pass. There is no reason for it to pass. It becomes intolerable ... I draw back my hand and put it in my pocket; but immediately I feel the warmth of my thigh through the stuff. I pull my hand out of my pocket and let it hang against the back of the chair. Now I feel a weight at the end of my arm. It pulls a little, softly, insinuatingly it exists. I don't insist: no matter where I put it it will go on existing; I can't suppress it, nor can I suppress the rest of my body, the sweaty warmth, which soils my shirt, nor all this warm obesity which turns lazily, as if someone were stirring it with a spoon, nor all the sensations going on inside, going, coming, mounting from my side to my armpit or quietly vegetating from morning to night, in their usual corner.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Nausea, 1938
The narrator experiences a disorienting, bodily awareness that blurs the line between self and object, reflecting existential alienation.
In simple terms: He feels his body as a strange, heavy object detached from himself.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge the unsettling feeling of alienation.
Themes
existentialism
body
alienation
perception
Mood
uneasy
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
literary analysis
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- artistic introspection
- philosophical writing
Key Concepts
subject‑object duality
phenomenology
psychological distress
Questions to Reflect On
- How does bodily awareness affect personal identity?
- What does the weight metaphor reveal about existence?
A Different Perspective
The dense description may be inaccessible to some readers, limiting its impact.
![“[Stéphane Mallarmé] theory of the hermetic is a mistake, but he can be only difficult to read when he has difficult things to say.” quote by Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/35f/jean-paul-sartre-220_difficult_st-phane-mallarm-theory-of-the-hermetic_20348.jpg)
