"Man is not the sum of what he has already, but rather the sum of what he does not yet have, of what he could have."
-sartre
BTW i dont care about what it means to YOU or how you interpret it. i just want to know what it means objectively.
2007-04-18 09:08:47 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Please, understand, the only thing I can tell you is what it means, to me ... and that is exactly what everyone else is going to tell you as well ... that's what writing and critical analysis is all about ... we just leave off the first person
What it means (and yes, this is to me, it's just that I am honest about it) is that we are not of value as humans because of what we have already done, but rather what we can do, should do, and will do in the future. Of course a lot of people would disagree with this citing other quotes such as "You will be known by what you do" ... "Well done is better than well said" etc.
2007-04-18 09:14:36 · answer #1 · answered by John B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jean-Paul Sartre quotes; He is the French existentialist philosopher and writer, 1905-1980.
It is a philosophical meaning that relates to what a man is today does not mean he will not or could not amount to something so much more in years to come. This means: today a murderer, tomorrow a savior or redeemed one. This could also mean today a beggar; tomorrow a millionaire with hard work and education, or a man with no morals today...tomorrow is one of God's loving helpers.
2007-04-18 16:18:25 · answer #2 · answered by KimIsland 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Do not judge a book solely by it's cover and content but by the potential of what it could generate - that's putting it in a nutshell.
2007-04-18 16:14:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's trying to say that our ability to imagine, create, and continue to prosper is our greatest value and asset. From a cynical perspective, it states that a man is only as valuable as his earning potential.
2007-04-18 17:13:45 · answer #4 · answered by PCGuyIV 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Measure a man by his potential, his capabilities and what he "'could'" be in life, not what he already is.
2007-04-18 16:27:28 · answer #5 · answered by Essential 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
objectively - this is referring to the heights he can attain - man is not defined by wot he has achieved already but is defined by the difference between wot he CAN achieve , but has not yet achieved - and wot he has achieved.got it?
2007-04-18 16:24:32 · answer #6 · answered by Nishi S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't measure a person by where they are in life or how they are now, look at who it is they want to be in the future
2007-04-18 16:48:45 · answer #7 · answered by RentHead94 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means a person's past does not define who he is. It is his unrealised potential that defines him.
hope it made sense
2007-04-18 19:40:47 · answer #8 · answered by someone 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Obviously, man is always after something, so life is about what we don't have.
Good luck!
2007-04-18 16:23:07 · answer #9 · answered by Alex 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont judge a person by their past and what they are now , judge them by how they want to be .
2007-04-18 16:17:34 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋