Quotations

-Journals

 * Like Socrates, Kierkegaard believed that the human race couldn't entirely be sure of anything. He thought that by trying to prove God existed made us only lose our faith. The point was to believe in complete absurdity, instead of trying to rationalize it. He also didn't think that anyone could understand him, which is true. Many scholars to this day cannot pinpoint what he meant, since his writings are so complex. In another journal entry, he wrote that people don't even understand that they don't understand. His ways of thinking and living deeply contrasted those of others. He stayed inside mostly, writing for a 13 year old period. Many still can't understand why he made certain decisions in his life. They can only guess.

-Concluding Unscientific Postscript

 * Kierkegaard is considered the father of existentialism by many people, which is the belief of the important of an individual determining his or her own development through free will and choices. Kierkegaard set out to find the truth that is true for him. (I must find the truth that is true for me.) He believed that the only truths that mattered in life were subjective because those were the personal truths that actually made a difference in our life. Its not necessarily important to us that a triangle's angles all add to 180 degrees, but it is important if someone truly loves us or not. However, we can never prove that someone loves us, we can only hope they do. We can prove that the angles add up to 180 degrees in a triangle.

===Just as in earthly life lovers long for the moment when they are able to breathe forth their love for each other, to let their souls blend in a soft whisper, so the mystic longs for the moment when in prayer he can, as it were, creep into God.===

-Part II: Either/Or

 * Kierkegaard had a negative view on mystics because he believed they wandered near a dangerous path. The mystics glorify themselves by not having the need for any type of mediator in their worship of God, thus putting themselves above others. Their prayers are also brash towards their relationship with God, and lack meaning since they are inwardly oriented. Kierkegaard's critical idea of love stems from the fact that it is part of the aesthetic stage, which is the lowest of the thee levels you could be on. He believed the ultimate stage was the religious stage. The mystics love for God is burning and passionate burning love, such as the lovers. Both whispers contain no purpose other than self fulfillment and desire for it is the mystic's way to proclaim his love to God. Passion is part of the aesthic stage, which is the lowest stage of the three. Kierkegaard believed the religious stage was the highest, relating to the divine love for God.

===The whole of existence makes me anxious, from the smallest fly to the mysteries of the Incarnation. It's all inexplicable, myself most of all. For me all existence is contaminated, myself most of all. Great is my distress, unlimited. No one knows it but God in heaven and he will not comfort me. No one but God in heaven can console me and he will not take pity on me.===

-Journals

 * Every tiny piece of life is amazing and absurd. How could we have been created? It's unbelievable to consider how we could actually exist. All of our quirks, our bodies, our minds, how emotions work; everything is insane when considered. How could we simply just be here from bacteria? Kierkegaard believed there was no way to prove how we actually came to be. It was useless trying to prove God existed because then in a way you are proving you don't believe in him. Faith is a beautiful thing, but until we are up in heaven, how will we ever know why we were put on earth, or how each of us was created. If God were to console us, then we would know he existed, which would defeat the entire purpose of faith. We could no longer believe.

-Journals

 * Kierkegaard admitted he was unhappy, but he was content. He believed that there was no true happiness until you were with God. That happiness was different than the happiness people described. The desire to want to be happy also fit on the aesthetic stage, which was the lowest of all three stages. However, dreams can depict how we perceive ourselves or the reality around us. It's almost impossible to think Kierkegaard really had no desire to be happy. He may have convinced himself to not want to be happy, but no-one is content with a life of unhappiness.

-Papers and Journals (37 II A 641)

 * Kierkegaard didn't consider himself to be normal. This quote expresses how he felt about himself. He didn't believe he could be happy. He had to give up someone he loved, forever losing the sight of love. Happiness, love, passion, any emotion that contains desire were thrown out of his heart. He used his wit and irony to tear down Churches, and to rebel against society. There was no warmth left inside him. Before he died, it was clear he gave up life. The only thing he clutched to was his strong faith, but even that didn't provide him with happiness.