Søren Kierkegaard's best quotes
The top 3 according to 0 votes from people: It is quite true what philosophy says, that life must be understood backwards. But one forgets the other principle, that it must be lived forwards. · Purity of heart is to will one thing. · Most people rush after pleasure so fast that they rush right past it.. (Updated Sep 15, 2023.)
From Either/Or to The Sickness unto Death and the journals: Kierkegaard's most quoted lines, in his own spelling and with sources.
Automatically translated (original in Dansk). See the original
Top 11
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1
It is quite true what philosophy says, that life must be understood backwards. But one forgets the other principle, that it must be lived forwards.
Journals, 1843.
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2
Purity of heart is to will one thing.
Title of one of his upbuilding discourses, 1847.
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3
Most people rush after pleasure so fast that they rush right past it.
Either/Or.
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4
People understand me so little that they don't even understand my complaints that they don't understand me.
Either/Or I, Diapsalmata.
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5
It happened in a theatre that a fire broke out backstage. The clown came out to inform the audience.
Either/Or I, Diapsalmata; the audience thought it was a joke.
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6
I feel the way a chess piece must feel when the opponent says of it: that piece cannot be moved.
Either/Or I.
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7
The gods were bored, so they created human beings.
Either/Or I, The Rotation of Crops.
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8
Idleness as such is by no means the root of all evil; on the contrary, it is a truly divine life, as long as one is not bored.
Either/Or I, The Rotation of Crops.
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9
A human being is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self.
The Sickness unto Death.
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10
Fixed ideas are like a cramp in the foot: the best remedy is to stand on it.
Journals, 6 July 1838.
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11
In general, the need for solitude is a sign that there is spirit in a person after all.
The Sickness unto Death.
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Comments (1)
Livet forstås baglæns men leves forlæns. Den sætning har hjulpet mig mere end mange bøger.