Excerpts of Citations
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It belongs to the imperfection of everything human that man can only attain his desire by passing through its opposite.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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There are, as is known, insects that die in the moment of fertilization. So it is with all joy: life's highest, most splendid moment of enjoyment is accompanied by death.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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Which is more difficult, to awaken one who sleeps or to awaken one who, awake, dreams that he is awake?
~Soren Kierkegaard
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Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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It seems essential, in relationships and all tasks, that we concentrate only on what is most significant and important.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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It is very dangerous to go into eternity with possibilities which one has oneself prevented from becoming realities. A possibility is a hint from God. One must follow it.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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During the first period of a man's life the greatest danger is not to take the risk. When once the risk has really been taken, then the greatest danger is to risk too much.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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The truth must essentially be regarded as in conflict with this world; the world has never been so good, and will never become so good that the majority will desire the truth.
~Soren Kierkegaard
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Most people are subjective toward themselves and objective toward all others, frightfully objective sometimes—but the task is precisely to be objective toward oneself and subjective toward all ot...
~Soren Kierkegaard
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The paradox in Christian truth is invariably due to the fact that it is the truth that exists for God. The standard of measure and the end is superhuman; and there is only one relationship possible...
~Soren Kierkegaard
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If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential — for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoin...
~Soren Kierkegaard
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The paradox is really the pathos of intellectual life and just as only great souls are exposed to passions it is only the great thinker who is exposed to what I call paradoxes, which are . . . gran...
~Soren Kierkegaard