Jean-Paul Sartre's famous quote "condemned to be free" means that humans have radical freedom and are entirely responsible for their choices, actions, and for creating their own meaning in a world without inherent purpose. The "condemnation" comes from the fact that this freedom is inescapable; we are "thrown" into existence and must continually choose who we will be, even though we did not create ourselves. This responsibility can cause anguish, but it is also the foundation of our existence, and we are left "without excuse" for what we become.