What initially attracted me to Jean-Paul Sartre were his ideas about freedom and choice. Over the year we have read many different philosophies, but until recently most of them included some sort of God or force that cannot be proven. Since I don't believe in any God, it was difficult to pinpoint the points I agreed with, as most of the time the philosophies were entrenched or used God as a fact. Being an atheist, it seemed worth looking into Jean-Paul Sartre. While there are other atheist philosophers, Jean-Paul Sartre's philosophy seemed to have few if any holes. His ideas about freedom, responsibility, and defining ourselves seemed to be exactly what I was thinking or an extrapolation of him. These ideas helped me better understand my actions and the actions of others. Additionally, they encouraged me to pursue my passions. I. “Life has no a priori meaning. Life itself is nothing until it is lived, it is we who give it meaning, and value is nothing other than the meaning we give it” (Satre 51). With this statement, Jean-Paul Sartre underlines a number of things. It discusses freedom and choice, but also emphasizes that we have the power to create ourselves because our acts define us and we freely choose our actions. In January of this year I was trying to figure out why I shouldn't be angry or mad at people who follow a religion. It seemed like people were wasting their lives because they dedicated it to a non-existent being and believed a pack of lies. However, this got me thinking about what is truly a waste of time and what isn't. Many philosophers will say that doing one thing is better than another. I always thought that being educated is better than not being in the middle of paper, your dreams and other places, but you can't know what's in it or control what's in it. I believe you have no control over your actions. However, the point Sartre is trying to make about the unconscious is that you cannot use your “unconscious” as an excuse. I think it's an excuse, but still you are responsible for your actions because of it. I don't agree with him about the existence of the unconscious, but I agree that you are still responsible for your actions, regardless of whether they stem from your unconscious or not. Jean-Paul Sartre allowed me to understand my actions as well as those of others and to realize how indeterminate my life is. The initial attraction for him was his ideas about the meaning of life. It resonated with me and my beliefs. Since reading his works, I have gained a greater understanding of the direction for my future and the possibilities it holds.