Existentialism Quote by Jean-Paul Sartre
““Superfluity was the only relationship I could establish between these trees, these hedges, these paths. Vainly I strove to compute the number of the chestnut trees, or their distance from the Velleda, or their height as compared with that of the plane trees; each of them escaped from the pattern I made for it, overflowed from it or withdrew. And I too among them, vile, languorous, obscene, chewing the cud of my thoughts, I too was superfluous. [I is you or I or anyone.] Luckily I did not feel it, I only understood it, but I felt uncomfortable because I was afraid of feeling it. . . . I thought vaguely of doing away with myself, to do away with at least one of these superfluous existences. But my death – my corpse, my blood poured out on this gravel, among these plants, in this smiling garden – would have been superfluous as well. I was superfluous to all eternity.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Nausea, 1938
The narrator feels his existence and that of others is meaningless, leading to existential dread and the desire to escape.
In simple terms: Life feels meaningless and burdensome.
Key Takeaway
Confront the absurdity of existence.
Themes
existentialism
absurdity
self-awareness
Mood
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- creative writing
- philosophical debate
Key Concepts
meaning of life
personal alienation
Questions to Reflect On
- What gives your life meaning?
- How do you cope with feelings of uselessness?
A Different Perspective
Finding meaning may be impossible for some.
![“[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)
