Jean-Paul Sartre, philosopher: “Happiness is not doing what you want, but wanting what you do”

Jean-Paul Sartre, one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, believed that humans are not born with a predetermined purpose. Instead, we define ourselves through our actions and decisions.

Sartre, who rejected the Nobel Prize in Literature, Sartre focused on freedom and the way our choices shape both our behavior and identity. For him, the past was irrelevant; only what we do today truly matters.

Freedom as action

Sartre famously said, “We are condemned to be free.” But for him, freedom was not about doing whatever you feel like. It was about wanting what you do. In other words, true happiness comes not from pursuing impulses but from embracing the actions you choose.

He argued that happiness is not a goal achieved by checking off certain accomplishments. It is an ethical stance toward life. Instead of waiting for joy to arrive on its own, we find it in the daily acts that define our routine. By “wanting what you do,” obligations become acts of freedom.

The danger of doing just what you want

Conversely, simply doing what you want, Sartre warned, can enslave us. Following impulses and whims may feel liberating, but it keeps us from taking ownership of our lives. True freedom, he believed, comes from deliberate, voluntary action that allows us to claim responsibility for our experiences.

His philosophy also introduces the concept of “bad faith,” the self-deception that convinces us we cannot choose. Excuses and resistance to the dizzying responsibility of freedom keep people trapped in their comfort zones rather than taking control of their lives.

Turning effort into identity

Sartre’s insight offers a remedy for modern frustration. For example, an athlete may not want to wake up at 5 a.m. or stick to a strict diet. But by embracing the discipline as part of their project - by “wanting the training” - they forge their identity and turn effort into freedom.

Happiness, in Sartre’s view, is not a gift or a reward. It is the result of taking ownership of your choices and finding joy in the work that shapes who you are.

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