Faith is the highest passion in a human being. Many in every generation may not come that far, but none comes further.
Soren KierkegaardRead
Intelligence has got the upper hand to such an extent that it transforms the real task into an unreal trick and reality into a play.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that intelligence can distort our perception of reality, turning serious matters into trivial games.
Soren Kierkegaard reflects on the power of intelligence and how it can overshadow the genuine essence of life's challenges. By elevating the intellect above emotional and practical engagement, what is fundamentally important can become mere entertainment, leading individuals to treat profound issues as if they were trivial games. This transformation can result in a disconnection from the true nature of reality, where the seriousness of life is overshadowed by the strategic play that intelligence can promote.
Themes
IntelligenceRealityPhilosophyPerceptionLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about the impact of technology on society, one could quote Kierkegaard to emphasize how our focus on intellect can alienate us from reality.
More from Soren Kierkegaard
All quotes →Men 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 manager—I 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
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