“Everything that goes on in one’s head is so vague, isn’t it? It makes one want to sleep … I’ve six big mirrors in my bedroom. There they are. I can see them. But they don’t see me. They’re reflecting the carpet, the settee, the window—but how empty it is, a glass in which I’m absent! When I talked to people I always made sure there was one near by in which I could see myself. I watched myself talking. And somehow it kept me alert, seeing myself as the others saw me. . . Oh dear! My lipstick! I’m sure I’ve put it on all crooked. No, I can’t do without a looking-glass for ever and ever. I simply can’t.”

Acquaint yourself with Sartre. Thank you Vanderbilt University for this gem of a find on the internet. Read here.

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