We are self aware beings, at the same time, distinct from what we are aware of. Some of these things include the external environment, facts, the way things are, so on and so forth. Sartre points out that we are not only aware of the way things are, but the way things aren't as well. For example, when looking at a pen, we know that it is red; however we can also realize that it is not green. All in all, the two main things we are aware of are states of being and sensual perception of environment. Since there is no God, no creator, no one divine person, things come into the world undefined. It is therefore important to be aware of states of being and non-being because we are basically forced to invent man. .
Our consciousness also condemns us to be free. Sartre's analysis of the human being leads to claim that since we do not possess an essential nature at birth, we have to create our own essence as individuals and we are therefore condemned to be free. According to Sartre, everyone has their own facticity; different uniqueness about them. For example, I am a nineteen year old female lacrosse player who works at the athletic center. These different qualities make up my facticity which is my uniqueness or different facts about me. He claims that our facticity is the product of choice. In fact, these facts are meaningless without choices. It is up to me and only me to choose my nature and what it is to be human. There is no pre-defined essence. We come into to existence without having form and later define what we are by the choices that we make. Because we can make these free choices, we then are able to acquire this "uniqueness" Sartre refers to. We have no predisposition to be one way or another. .
When we do not accept the fact that we are the controllers of our own destiny, Sartre views that as "bad faith." Bad faith is self-deception; trying to fool yourself into thinking that you are not free.