"To make oneself an object, to make oneself passive, is a very different thing from being a passive object."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Acceptance
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"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."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Age and Aging
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"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."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Age and Aging
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"The most mediocre of males feels himself a demigod as compared with women."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Equality
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"When an individual is kept in a situation of inferiority, the fact is that he does become inferior."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Feminism
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"One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Genius
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"Defending the truth is not something one does out of a sense of duty or to allay guilt complexes, but is a reward in itself."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Guilt
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"To catch a husband is an art; to hold him is a job."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Husbands
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"In order for the artist to have a world to express he must first be situated in this world, oppressed or oppressing, resigned or rebellious, a man among men."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Arts and Artists
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"The curse which lies upon marriage is that too often the individuals are joined in their weakness rather than in their strength --each asking from the other instead of finding pleasure in giving. It is even more deceptive to dream of gaining through the child a plenitude, a warmth, a value, which one is unable to create for oneself; the child brings joy only to the woman who is capable of disinterestedly desiring the happiness of another, to one who without being wrapped up in self seeks to transcend her own existence."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Marriage
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"All oppression creates a state of war."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Oppression
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"It's frightening to think that you mark your children merely by being yourself. It seems unfair. You can't assume the responsibility for everything you do --or don't do."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Parents and Parenting
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"Retirement may be looked upon either as a prolonged holiday or as a rejection, a being thrown on to the scrap-heap."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Retirement
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"Buying is a profound pleasure."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Sales
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"One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Service
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"Sex pleasure in woman is a kind of magic spell; it demands complete abandon; if words or movements oppose the magic of caresses, the spell is broken."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Sex
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"Society cares for the individual only so far as he is profitable."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Society
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"Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Change
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"What is an adult? A child blown up by age."

Beauvoir, Simone De on Adulthood
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