Showing posts with label Hell is other people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hell is other people. Show all posts

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Hell is other people

Sartre supposedly said or wrote this---I can't remember whether he said it or wrote it---but the point is that it contained the brilliance of simplicity and Sartre was responsible for it. The problem occurred when he foolishly continued and tempered his initial insight with a bunch of prattle about our using others' perceptions of us as a window unto ourselves---or something like that---and with that the promising beginning fizzled out into nothingness. Now I grant that you--if you must--might indulge in a bit of sloppy thinking and find yourself agreeing with Sartre's window fancy. Only don't give me that crap about hell not being other people and that it was all a misunderstanding...if hell isn't other people, then what is it? A rectal abscess?