Why Is It That the Farther I Go, the More I Feel at Home?
On Sartre’s “hell is other people.”
Of all the expressions in this world, there’s arguably none as comforting as “going home.” It conjures images of a warm hearth, a comfortable bed, and the soothing embrace of your closest kin.
For most, “home” is equal to “family,” and there is nothing more calming than returning to your family at the end of a hard day. After all, the world is vast, and nature is a cruel mistress. No one can weather the storm continuously without ever taking shelter.
However, the case isn’t so for everyone. For an unfortunate few, “home” is a domain of abuse and neglect. It’s the one place they dread having to return to every day. If they could, they’d choose to leave and never come back. For the unluckiest of us, home is not a safe haven — it’s hell.
Hell Is Other People
In his 1944 play Huis Clos (or “No Exit” in English), French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre popularized the phrase “hell is other people.” Ever since, it has been quoted (and misquoted) widely, implying how much it resonated with a lot of people.
Huis Clos is an existentialist play, revolving around three characters locked with each other in a mysterious room. This setting is a…
