According to Sartre, “When we say that man chooses himself, not only do we mean that

each of us must choose himself, but also that in choosing himself, he is choosing for all men.”

Sartre says that whenever we express certain values through our actions,

we communicate to the world that these are desirable actions or values. You are

responsible for exerting an image of how you wish mankind to be by being the prime example

yourself. When you choose to act in a certain way, you also set an example for others. Thus,

Sartre urges everybody to live consciously: dare to act, and do so in a way you would

like other people to act as well, for you always set an example for others.

The lack of setting an example in our daily lives is notably evident in our daily behavior. We often

tend to make exceptions for ourselves. ‘If everybody else cleans up after themselves,

it won’t be too bad if I won’t.’ Or: ‘I sure hope someone else will speak

up about my boss' abuse of power, because I am too scared or passive to do so’. In

order to realize your full freedom and the responsibility that comes with it,

you have to force yourself to do all the things you wish others would do as well, no matter how

hard it might seem. By refusing to do so, you are not acknowledging your full potential,

responsibility and freedom; effectively taking one step back towards bad faith.

This means that whatever you think is right for you, you must also think is right for

all. Realize that in your actions you are not only representing yourself,

but mankind as a whole. This means that, whenever you do anything, you should honestly ask yourself,

‘What if everybody did that?’ Suddenly, littering will seem like an unacceptable move,

and the risk that not speaking about something will result in no change becomes inevitable.

You can only act in good conscience if you truly think that everybody put in your position would

benefit from behaving in the same way as you. Acting in a way that you think everybody should or

at least would be better off in doing so, is the key to leading a more productive and honest life.