Accepting Quote by Roland Barthes
“I am simultaneously and contradictorily both happy and unhappy: 'to succeed' or 'to fail' have for me only ephemeral, contingent meanings (this does not stop my desires and sorrows from being violent ones); what impels me, secretly and obstinately, is not tactical: I accept and I affirm, irrespective of the true and the false, of success and failure; I am withdrawn from all finality, I live according to chance...”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Mythologies, 1957
The speaker embraces ambivalence, seeing success and failure as fleeting, and chooses to act beyond binary judgments, living by chance.
In simple terms: Accept uncertainty and act beyond success/failure.
Key Takeaway
Live beyond binary judgments.
Themes
ambiguity
existentialism
determinism
acceptance
chance
Mood
reflective
philosophical
Type
existential
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- career decisions
- creative projects
- personal growth
- risk taking
Key Concepts
Phenomenology
subjectivity
existential choice
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you find meaning without fixed outcomes?
- What role does chance play in your choices?
A Different Perspective
May ignore practical consequences of indecision.
