1001Philosophers

Simone de Beauvoir Quotes on Life

Simone de Beauvoir was a 20th-century French philosopher, writer, and political activist, a central figure of post-war French existentialism and a foundational thinker of modern feminist philosophy. This page collects quotes attributed to Simone de Beauvoir on the topic of life, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to Simone de Beauvoir:

    “Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay.”

  • “If you live long enough, you'll see that every victory turns into a defeat.”

    All Men Are Mortal, 1946
  • Attributed to Simone de Beauvoir:

    “It is in the knowledge of the genuine conditions of our lives that we must draw our strength to live and our reasons for acting.”

  • “I wish that every human life might be pure transparent freedom .”

    The Blood of Others [ Le sang des autres ] (1946)