Simone de Beauvoir

I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. I want this adventure that is the context of my life to go on without end.

I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth—and truth rewarded me.

No woman should be authorized to stay at home to raise her children. Society should be totally different. Women should not have that choice, precisely because if there is such a choice, too many women will make that one.

The curse which lies upon marriage is that too often the individuals are joined in their weakness rather than in their strength.

There is something in me which is not quite proper, for I do not like to be told what to do.

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

I wish that every human life might be an acceptable poem.

I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth - and truth was undoubtedly at the bottom of my search for an autonomous existence.

The most marvelous thing about love is that it makes the future possible.

To make oneself spiritual, one must make oneself a body.

There is no such thing as a natural woman.

I am a woman, I am a writer, I am a Communist, I am an atheist.

Old age is a parody of life.

She has been taught that she is a plaything, and she has learned to play.

To be oneself, simply oneself, is so amazing and so unique.

Man is defined as a being that is free.

I was born to be happy.

I am going to die, and I will not be able to write anymore. This is a very serious problem.

If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person.

There is no way to be a woman. There are only ways of being a woman.