We are our choices.

The line succinctly captures a central Sartrean thesis of existentialism: there is no fixed human essence that determines what we are; rather, we become what we make of ourselves through action. In Sartre’s view, each choice is not merely a private preference but a self-defining commitment that shapes one’s character and projects a way of being in the world. The phrase also implies responsibility: if we are constituted by our choices, we cannot ultimately shift blame onto fate, nature, or social roles for who we become. It echoes Sartre’s emphasis on freedom and the anxiety that accompanies it—because choosing is unavoidable, self-creation is continuous.