/Quotes
17 quotes

Søren Kierkegaard

~ 1813 - 1855

Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, and writer, known as the "father of existentialism." He is esteemed for his profound and complex writings that explored themes of individuality, faith, and human experience, influencing numerous fields of thought including philosophy, psychology, and literature. Kierkegaard's works such as "Fear and Trembling" and "Either/Or" remain influential in contemporary philosophical discourse.

  1. Above all, do not lose your desire to walk.

    Søren KierkegaardJournals, 1847
    #desire#perseverance#hope

  2. People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.

    Søren KierkegaardEither/Or, Part II, p. 275, 1843
    #speech#thought#freedom

  3. What if everything in the world were a misunderstanding, what if laughter were really tears?

    Søren KierkegaardEither/Or, Part I, p. 23, 1843
    #misunderstanding#laughter#emotions

  4. To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.

    Søren KierkegaardThe Point of View for My Work as an Author: A Report to History, p. 154, 1859
    #dare#risk#identity

  5. Old age realizes the dreams of youth: look at Dean Swift; in his youth he built an asylum for the insane, in his old age he was himself an inmate.

    Søren KierkegaardJournals, 1846
    #age#dreams#irony

  6. Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day, I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.

    Søren KierkegaardJournals, 1846
    #walking#wellness#resilience

  7. Faith is the highest passion in a human being. Many in every generation may not come that far, but none comes further.

    Søren KierkegaardFear and Trembling, p. 39, 1843
    #faith#passion#humanity

  8. Patience is necessary, and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown.

    Søren KierkegaardEither/Or, Part II, p. 232, 1843
    #patience#growth#effort

  9. Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.

    Søren KierkegaardWorks of Love, p. 246, 1847
    #prayer#transformation#reflection

  10. What is a poet? An unhappy person who conceals profound anguish in his heart but whose lips are so formed that as sighs and cries pass over them they sound like beautiful music.

    Søren KierkegaardEither/Or, Vol. 1, 1843
    #poet#anguish#beauty

  11. People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.

    Søren KierkegaardEither/Or, Vol. 1, p. 37, 1843
    #speech#freedom#thought

  12. Once you label me you negate me.

    Søren KierkegaardEither/Or, Part II, The Diary of the Seducer, 1843
    #label#identity#negation

  13. Talk nonsense, but talk your own nonsense, and I'll kiss you for it. To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.

    Søren KierkegaardEither/Or, Part II, The Balance Between the Aesthetical and the Ethical in the Development of Personality
    #nonsense#individuality#authenticity

  14. Life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived.

    Søren KierkegaardEither/Or, Part II, p. 300, 1843
    #life#mystery#perspective

  15. Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.

    Søren KierkegaardEither/Or, Part II, p. 296, 1843
    #life#experience#reality

  16. The most common form of despair is not being who you are.

    Søren KierkegaardThe Sickness Unto Death, 1849
    #despair#identity#authenticity

  17. Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.

    Søren KierkegaardJournals and Papers, Vol. 5, 1844-1845
    #life#understanding#progress