New Delhi, Aug. 19 -- "To desire to be a human is to desire to create"

- Jean-Paul Satre

The quote captures a central idea in the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre, the French philosopher, playwright and novelist whose work became closely associated with existentialism.

Sartre spent much of his career examining questions of freedom, responsibility, choice and what it means for people to give meaning to their own lives.

At the heart of the quote is the idea that being human involves more than simply existing. To desire to create is to want to leave some form of imprint on the world, whether through art, ideas, relationships, work or personal choices.

Creation, in this sense, does not have to mean producing a painting, writing a novel or ...