To be lost in spiritlessness is the most terrible thing of all. Soren Kierkegaard More Quotes by Soren Kierkegaard More Quotes From Soren Kierkegaard In the deepest sense, the being in a state of sin is the sin, the particular sins are not the continuation of sin, they are expressions of its continuation. Soren Kierkegaard sin states expression In order to learn true humility (I use this expression to describe the state of mind under discussion), it is good for a person to withdraw from the turmoil of the world (we see that Christ withdrew when the people wanted to proclaim him king as well as when he had to walk the thorny path), for in life either the depressing or the elevating impression is too dominant for a true balance to come about. Here, of course, individuality is very decisive. Soren Kierkegaard depressing humility kings No time of life is so beautiful as the early days of love, when with every meeting, every glance, one fetches something new home to rejoice over. Soren Kierkegaard beautiful love life In my great melancholy, I loved life, for I love my melancholy. Soren Kierkegaard melancholy It is human self-renunciation when a man denies himself and the world opens up to him. But it is Christian self-renunciation when he denies himself and, because the world precisely for this shuts itself up to him, he must as one thrust out by the world seek God's confidence. The double-danger lies precisely in meeting opposition there where he had expected to find support, and he has to turn about twice; whereas the merely human self-resignation turns once. Soren Kierkegaard christian men lying Take it and return it: the kiss of love. Soren Kierkegaard love-kissing return kissing ...he who always hopes for the best becomes old, deceived by life, and he who is always prepared for the worst becomes old prematurely; but he who has faith, retains eternal youth. Soren Kierkegaard hoping-for-the-best youth have-faith Trouble is the common denominator of living. It is the great equalizer. Soren Kierkegaard conflict adversity common What is existence for but to be laughed at if men in their twenties have already attained the utmost? Soren Kierkegaard existence twenties men That which is truly human no generation learns from the one before it. No generation learns from another how to love. No generation has a shorter task assigned to it except insofar as the previous generation shirked its task and deluded itself. Soren Kierkegaard how-to-love generations tasks Learning to know anxiety is an adventure which every man has to affront if he would not go to perdition either by not having known anxiety or by sinking under it. He therefore who has leaned rightly to be in anxiety has learned the most important thing. Soren Kierkegaard anxiety adventure men A curiously interested observer sees a great deal, a scientifically interested observer is worthy of all honor, and anxiously interested observer sees what others do not see, but a crazy observer sees perhaps the most, his observation is more intense and more persistent, just as the senses of certain animals are sharper than those of man. Soren Kierkegaard crazy animal men It is a wonderful thing to see a first-rate philosopher at prayer. Tough-minded thinking and tenderhearted reverence are friends, not enemies. We have for too long separated the head from the heart, and we are the lesser for it. We love God with the mind and we love God with the heart. In reality, we are descending with the mind into the heart and there standing before God in ceaseless wonder and endless praise. As the mind and the heart work in concert, a kind of loving rationality pervades all we say and do. This brings unity to us and glory to God. Soren Kierkegaard prayer heart reality The question is asked in ignorance, by one who does not even know what can have led him to ask it. Soren Kierkegaard ignorance knows doe ...even the richest personality is nothing before he has chosen himself, and on the other hand even what one might call the poorest personality is everything when he has chosen himself; for the great thing is not to be this or that but to be oneself, and this everyone can be if he wills it. Soren Kierkegaard personality might hands The reign of the tyrant ends with his death, and the reign of the martyr starts with it. Soren Kierkegaard martyr In order to swim one takes off all one's clothes--in order to aspire to the truth one must undress in a far more inward sense, divest oneself of all one's inward clothes, of thoughts, conceptions, selfishness etc., before one is sufficiently naked. Soren Kierkegaard clothes truth order Every human being is tried this way in the active service of expectancy. Now comes the fulfillment and relieves him, but soon he is again placed on reconnaissance for expectancy; then he is again relieved, but as long as there is any future for him, he has not yet finished his service. And while human life goes on this way in very diverse expectancy, expecting very different things according to different times and occasions and in different frames of mind, all life is again one nightwatch of expectancy. Soren Kierkegaard different mind long In addition to my other numerous acquaintances, I have one more intimate confidant. ... My depression is the most faithful mistress I have known - no wonder, then, that I return the love. Soren Kierkegaard depressing depression love Nothing is as heady as the wine of possibility Soren Kierkegaard possibility wine
