However gifted an individual is at the outset, if his or her talents cannot be developed because of his or her social condition, because of the surrounding circumstances, these talents will be still-born.

Hegel held that the two sexes were of necessity different, the one being active and the other passive, and of course the female would be the passive one.

I think that The Second Sex will seem an old, dated book, after a while. But nonetheless, a book which will have made its contribution. At least, I hope so.

We always come back to the same vicious circle - an extreme degree of material or intellectual poverty does away with the means of alleviating it.

Why one man rather than another? It was odd. You find yourself involved with a fellow for life just because he was the one that you met when you were nineteen.

The most mediocre of males feels himself a demigod as compared with women.

We belong to this earth. Now I can see the truth ... I love you on this earth of ours. Love me, do!