Faith is the highest passion in a human being. Many in every generation may not come that far, but none comes further.
Soren KierkegaardRead
Deep within every man there lies the dread of being alone in the world, forgotten by God, overlooked among the tremendous household of millions and millions.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the human fear of isolation and the existential anxiety of being insignificant in a vast world.
Soren Kierkegaard articulates a profound aspect of human existence: the fear of loneliness and the struggle for recognition in a seemingly indifferent universe. He highlights the dread of being forgotten not just by others, but by God and our community, emphasizing the deep-seated need for connection and validation among individuals living in a crowded existence.
Themes
LonelinessFearExistenceGodRecognition
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about mental health, one might reference this quote to emphasize the importance of community support.
More from Soren Kierkegaard
All quotes βMen think that it is impossible for a human being to love his enemies, for enemies are hardly able to endure the sight of one another. Well, then, shut your eyes--and your enemy looks just like your neighbor.
Soren KierkegaardRead
How did I get into the world? Why was I not asked about it and why was I not informed of the rules and regulations but just thrust into the ranks as if I had been bought by a peddling shanghaier of human beings? How did I get involved in this big enterprise called actuality? Why should I be involved? Isn't it a matter of choice? And if I am compelled to be involved, where is the managerβI have something to say about this. Is there no manager? To whom shall I make my complaint?
Soren KierkegaardRead
A possibility is a hint from God. One must follow it.
Soren KierkegaardRead
And when the hourglass has run out, the hourglass of temporality, when the noise of secular life has grown silent and its restless or ineffectual activism has come to an end, when everything around you is still, as it is in eternity, then eternity asks you and every individual in these millions and millions about only one thing: whether you have lived in despair or not.
Soren KierkegaardRead
I am so stupid that I cannot understand philosophy; the antithesis of this is that philosophy is so clever that it cannot comprehend my stupidity. These antitheses are mediated in a higher unity; in our common stupidity.
Soren KierkegaardRead
Similar quotes
Without dignity, identity is erased.
Laura HillenbrandRead
The justification and the purpose of freedom of speech is not to indulge those who want to speak their minds. It is to prevent error and discover truth. There may be other ways of detecting error and discovering truth than that of free discussion, but so far we have not found them.
Henry Steele CommagerRead
To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death.
Mary Wollstonecraft ShelleyRead
When Alex left for Alaska," Franz remembers, "I prayed. I asked God to keep his finger on the shoulder of that one; I told him that boy was special. But he let Alex die. So on December 26, when I learned what happened, I renounced the Lord. I withdrew my church membership and became an atheist. I decided I couldn't believe in a God who would let something that terrible happen to a boy like Alex.
Jon KrakauerRead
I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.
William Allen WhiteRead
To argue about justice is unavoidably to argue about virtues, about substantive moral and even spiritual questions.
Michael SandelRead