2007-04-11 12:12:44 · 18 answers · asked by tscheggl 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
What Sartre meant by "people are hell" or "hell is other people" is that other people cause us misery or at least anxiety because we can never really know what they are thinking about us, whether they are a friend or an enemy. We can be pretty sure where we stand with people but we can never be completely sure. I think he has a point.
His famous quotation came from his play No Exit that takes place in Hell. Hell is conceived of as a bad hotel room with ugly decor. There are no instruments of torture, no fire, no devil. Just three people sharing a room. The only odd thing about them is their eyelids have been surreptitiously removed so that they can never close their eyes to take a break from the surroundings and the people. The people (one man and two women) essentially serve as the torture equipment for themselves as they lie about what may have put them in hell (everyone has two stories) lie about what they think of each other (or tell the truth but no one knows when they are lying or telling the truth) form alliances, become enemies, presumably for all eternity.
That's why "people are hell."
2007-04-11 12:27:23 · answer #1 · answered by K 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I believe that they can be at times and they can make our lives that way at times too, depending on what kind of jerks they want to be, I have certainly met a few. Then there are a few that I could not do without, that turned the so called hell into a sort of seemingly heaven at times.
2007-04-11 12:20:56 · answer #2 · answered by Friend 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
2007-04-11 13:06:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He's right, especially when you get on the London Underground in rush hour - people dodging on the pavements becomes a nirvana you can only dream about when you've been cooped up in a tube train.
2007-04-12 07:24:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Alas, it is true, just ask anyone who works in the service industry. People are all about themselves, they lie, cheat, steal, are rude and are obnoxious ... and that's just a beginning. Ask a waitress or a person who works behind the counter at a convenience store ... people are indeed hell ...
but ...
Ya gotta love them just the same
2007-04-11 12:17:20 · answer #5 · answered by John B 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sartre didn't get out much.
2007-04-11 12:16:15 · answer #6 · answered by knight2001us 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think that people are people that go through hell on a daily basis and sometimes take it out on others. therefore giving people the impression that people are hell.
2007-04-11 12:24:25 · answer #7 · answered by Tammy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, the general public is hell. That is pretty much common knowledge.
2007-04-11 12:18:28 · answer #8 · answered by Wait a Minute 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
properly, some human beings have stalkers that detest them and it is not significant what they mentioned it'd be an automated thumbs down. i assume they determine their finished existence circles around those dumb thumbs and that they might only be crushed in the event that they have been given a thumbs down. it is type of humorous fairly.
2016-12-20 12:05:51 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Man Is A Wolf To Man.
2007-04-11 19:45:01 · answer #10 · answered by S c a l p e r 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋