Children Quote by Sarah Bakewell
““The Childhood of a Leader’, written in 1938, Sartre examined a character, Lucien, who shores up an identity for himself as an anti-Semite mainly in order to be something. He is pleased when he hears someone else say of him, ‘Lucien can’t stand Jews.’ It gives him the illusion that he simply is the way he is. Bad faith here makes an entity out of a nonentity.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Childhood of a Leader by Jean-Paul Sartre, 1938
Sartre shows how self‑deception lets a person adopt hateful identities to feel purposeful, turning emptiness into a false sense of self.
In simple terms: Bad faith creates false identities.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and confront self‑deception.
Themes
identity
bad faith
existentialism
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- political activism
- personal growth
- education
- leadership development
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What beliefs do you hold that might be self‑deceptive?
- How can authenticity replace harmful self‑construction?
A Different Perspective
Adopting harmful identities can be a coping mechanism, but it prevents authentic self‑understanding.
![“As history has repeatedly suggested, nothing is more effective for demolishing traditional legal protections than the combined claims that a crime is uniquely dangerous, and that those behind it have exceptional powers of resistance. [On witchburning in France during the 16th Century.]” quote by Sarah Bakewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f48/sarah-bakewell-24972_crime_as-history-has-repeatedly-suggested-noth_1718454.jpg)
