Home / Authors / Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir Quotes

Writer

Simone de Beauvoir was a French writer, philosopher, feminist, and social activist. Known for her profound philosophical thoughts and her advocacy for women's status, she is one of the most influential female thinkers of the 20th century. Her works spanned various genres, including novels, philosophical essays, plays, and memoirs, with her most famous work being 'The Second Sex'.

Filter quotes by topic

All Men Ifs Feminism World Thinking Writing Existence Women Humans Way Existentialism Want Doe Knows Children Feminine Made Situation Age Existential

Famous Simone de Beauvoir Quotes

“It is not mere chance that makes families speak of a child who is 'extraordinary for his age' and also of an old man who is 'extraordinary for his age'; the extraordinariness lies in their behaving like human beings when they are either not yet or no longer men.”

Men Humans Children Age Lying Speak Chance Human Beings Mere Extraordinary Old Man

Book:La vieillesse

Source: La vieillesse

“Old age was growing inside me. It kept catching my eye from the depths of the mirror. I was paralyzed sometimes as I saw it making its way toward me so steadily when nothing inside me was ready for it.”

Way Sometimes Eye Age Saws Growing Ready Mirrors Aging Depth Old Age Catching Paralyzed

Book:Force of circumstance

Source: Force of circumstance

“Sign of old age: distress at all leave-takings, all separations. And the sadness of memories, because I'm aware they're condemned to death.”

Age Memories Sadness Separation Old Age Distress

Book:Force of Circumstance: Hard times

Source: Force of Circumstance: Hard times

“Society turns away from the aged worker as though he belonged to another species. That is why the whole question is buried in a conspiracy of silence. Old age exposes the failure of our entire civilization.”

Whole Age Turns Silence Civilization Species Workers Old Age Buried Conspiracy

Book:La vieillesse

Source: La vieillesse

“What is an adult? A child blown up by age.”

Children Age Time Adults Birthday Adulthood

Author:Simone de Beauvoir

“It is old age, rather than death, that is to be contrasted with life. Old age is life's parody, whereas death transforms life into a destiny: in a way it preserves it by giving it the absolute dimension. Death does away with time.”

Way Giving Doe Age Death Time Destiny Dying Absolutes Aging Old Age Preserves Dimensions Parody

Book:The Coming of Age

Source: The Coming of Age

“There is only one solution if old age is not to be an absurd parody of our former life, and that is to go on pursuing ends that give our existence a meaning.”

Ifs Giving Ends Age Existence Goes On Solutions Absurd Old Age Former Parody Former Life

Book:La vieillesse

Source: La vieillesse

“Since it is the Other within us who is old, it is natural that the revelation of our age should come to us from outside --from others. We do not accept it willingly.”

Should Age Time Natural Accepting Aging Revelations

Book:La vieillesse

Source: La vieillesse

“Society cares about the individual only in so far as he is profitable. The young know this. Their anxiety as they enter in upon social life matches the anguish of the old as they are excluded from it.”

Knows Care Age Young Individual Social Anxiety Anguish Profitable Social Life Excluded

Author:Simone de Beauvoir

“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”

“Old age is life's parody.”

Age Old Age Parody

Book:La vieillesse

Source: La vieillesse

“Old age is better for women than for men. First of all, they have less far to fall, since their lives are more mediocre than those of most men.”

Men Firsts Age Fall Old Age Mediocre

Author:Simone de Beauvoir

About the Author

Born: January 9, 1908
Died: April 14, 1986
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 491

Books & Sources

The Second SexRelated source material

The Woman DestroyedRelated source material

The Ethics of AmbiguityRelated source material

Memoirs of a Dutiful DaughterRelated source material

The Philosophical Library Existentialism Collection: Essays in Metaphysics, The Ethics of Ambiguity, and The Philosophy of ExistentialismRelated source material

A Very Easy DeathRelated source material

Les Belles ImagesRelated source material

La vieillesseRelated source material

Quando tutte le donne del mondo...Related source material

The prime of lifeRelated source material

Similar Authors

Gloria SteinemBrowse related quotes
Jean-Paul SartreBrowse related quotes
Gilbert K. ChestertonBrowse related quotes
Johann Wolfgang von GoetheBrowse related quotes
Warren FarrellBrowse related quotes
Friedrich NietzscheBrowse related quotes
Thomas CarlyleBrowse related quotes
Jean de la BruyereBrowse related quotes
D. H. LawrenceBrowse related quotes
C. S. LewisBrowse related quotes