“Smooth and smiling faces everywhere, but ruin in their eyes.”
Explore This Quote Further
Analysis of Quote by Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre's quote, "Smooth and smiling faces everywhere, but ruin in their eyes," sheds light on the idea of superficiality and the masks that people often wear to hide their inner turmoil. The juxtaposition between the outward appearance of happiness and the inner feelings of despair suggests a sense of deception and dishonesty within society. This quote serves as a reminder to look beyond surface appearances and recognize the true emotions and struggles that lie beneath the façade.
The Facade of Happiness
In today's society, the quote by Jean-Paul Sartre holds profound relevance as individuals often present a facade of happiness and contentment while hiding their true feelings of despair and emptiness. With the prevalence of social media and the pressure to appear perfect, many people put on a smile for the world to see while concealing their inner struggles and turmoil. This disconnect between outward appearances and internal reality can lead to feelings of isolation and alienation, highlighting the importance of authenticity and vulnerability in fostering genuine human connections.
Example of Usage
Jean-Paul Sartre's quote "Smooth and smiling faces everywhere, but ruin in their eyes" conveys a sense of superficiality and inner turmoil within individuals. This quote highlights the idea that appearances can be deceiving and that people may be hiding their true emotions behind a façade of happiness.
Reflection Questions:
As we reflect on this quote by Jean-Paul Sartre, we are confronted with the idea of hidden emotions and true intentions behind outward appearances. Consider the following questions to explore this concept further:
- Have you ever experienced a situation where someone had a "smooth and smiling face," but you sensed that something was not quite right beneath the surface?
- How does this quote relate to the idea of authenticity and genuineness in our interactions with others?
- In what ways do people often hide their true feelings or thoughts behind a facade of politeness or friendliness?
- What are the consequences of pretending to be someone we are not, both for ourselves and for those around us?
- How can we strive to be more authentic in our interactions and cultivate genuine relationships with others, even in a world that sometimes values appearances over truth?
Similar quotes
“I found the human heart empty and insipid everywhere except in books.”
“INEZ: To forget about the others? How utterly absurd! I feel you there, in every pore.Your silence clamours in my ears. You can nail up your mouth, cut your tongue out - but you can't prevent your being there. Can you stop your thoughts? I hear them ticking away like a clock, tick-tock, tick-tock, and I'm certain you hear mine. It's all very well skulking on your sofa, but you're everywhere, and every sound comes to me soiled because you've intercepted it on its way. Why, you've even stolen my face; you know it and I don't ! And what about her, about Estelle? You've stolen her from me, too; if she and I were alone do you suppose she'd treat me as she does? No, take your hands from your face, I won't leave you in peace - that would suit your book too well. You'd go on sitting there, in a sort of trance, like a yogi, and even if I didn't see her I'd feel it in my bones - that she was making every sound, even the rustle of her dress, for your benefit, throwing you smiles you didn't see... Well, I won't stand for that, I prefer to choose my hell; I prefer to look you in the eyes and fight it out face to face.”
“I'm going to smile, and my smile will sink down into your pupils, and heaven knows what it will become.”
“I am going to smile, and my smile will sink down into your pupils, and heaven knows what it will become.”
“The Nausea is not inside me: I feel it out there in the wall, in the suspenders, everywhere around me. It makes itself one with the café, I am the one who is within it.”
“If... if I didn't try to get my life moving on my own account, I should think it just absurd to go on living.'A look of smiling obstinacy had come into Marcelle's face.'Yes, yes - it's your vice.''It's not a vice. It's how I'm made.''Why aren't other people made like that, if it isn't a vice?''They are, only they don't know it.”