@kierkegaard · 498 excerpts
And if anyone notices that darkness is falling over his soul, let him keep silent, for in that state he is not to speak.
Og mærker Nogen, at Mørket falder over hans Sjel, da tie han, thi i den Tilstand skal han ikke tale.
Three Discourses on Imagined Occasions, final copy (Pap. VI B 125:8)
On a cheek that blushes in secret
the heart’s ardour shines.
Auf heimlich erröthender Wange
Leuchtet des Herzens Glühn.
Either/Or, Part I, The Seducer’s Diary (SKS 2, 367)
What psychology has to deal with must be something at rest that remains in a moving stillness, not something restless that is forever either producing itself or being repressed. But the enduring thing out of which sin constantly comes into being—not by necessity, for a becoming by necessity is a state, as for example the whole history of a plant is a state, but by freedom—this enduring thing, the predisposing presupposition, the real possibility of sin, is an object of psychology’s interest. What can occupy psychology, and what it can occupy itself with, is how sin can come into being, not that it comes into being. In its psychological interest it can bring matters so far that it is as if sin were there, but the next thing, that it is there, is qualitatively different from this. How this presupposition shows itself to careful psychological contemplation and observation as more and more pervasive, that is psychology’s interest; indeed, psychology will, as it were, surrender to the illusion that sin is thereby present. But this last illusion is psychology’s impotence, which shows that it has served its term.
Hvad Psychologien skal have med at gjøre maa være et Hvilende, der forbliver i bevæget Rolighed, ikke et Uroligt, der bestandigt enten producerer sig selv eller reprimeres. Men det Blivende, det, hvoraf Synden bestandig vorder, ikke med Nødvendighed; thi en Vorden med Nødvendighed er en Tilstand, som f. Ex. Plantens hele Historie er en Tilstand, men med Frihed, dette Blivende, den disponerende Forudsætning, Syndens reale Mulighed, det er en Gjenstand for Psychologiens Interesse. Det, der kan beskæftige Psychologien og hvormed den kan beskæftige sig, er, hvorledes Synden kan blive til, ikke at den bliver til. Den kan i sin psychologiske Interesse bringe det saavidt, at det er som var Synden der, men det Næste, at den er der, er qualitativt forskjelligt fra dette. Hvorledes nu denne Forudsætning for den psychologiske omhyggelige Contemplation og Iagttagelse viser sig mere og mere omsiggribende, det er Psychologiens Interesse, ja Psychologien vil ligesom hengive sig i den Skuffelse, at Synden hermed er til. Men denne sidste Skuffelse er Psychologiens Afmagt, der viser, at den har udtjent.
The Concept of Anxiety (SKS 4, 329)
One has no neighbor at all; for the “I” is at once itself and its own neighbor, as indeed it is also expressed: one is nearest to oneself (that is, one is one’s own neighbor).
Man har overhovedet ingen Næste; thi »Jeget« er paa eengang sig selv og sin Næste, som det jo ogsaa er udtrykt: Man er sig selv nærmest (ɔ: man er sin egen Næste).
Journal DD:32.a.a
In relation to all passion it holds, as with sailing, that the wind decisively gets the power to stretch the sail with a single gust, uno tenore, that there must not be too many tacks and beats before one reaches deep water, nor too many preparations made or too many ship’s councils held beforehand: what matters is that passion gets the power and the command to seize the unprepared with its omnipotence.
I Forhold til al Lidenskab gjelder det ligesom ved at seile, at Vinden afgjørende faaer Magt til med eet Pust uno tenore at spænde Seilet, at der ikke skal gjøres for mange Slag og Krydsninger inden man naaer Dybet, ikke træffes for mange Forberedelser eller holdes for mange Skibsraad forinden: det gjelder, at Lidenskaben faaer Magt og Raadighed til at gribe den Uforberedte med sin Almagt.
A Literary Review (SKS 8, 42 – 43)
A dog’s distant barking, calling to faraway, friendly, well-known places—furnishes the most beautiful proof of the soul’s immortality.
Et fjernt Hundeglam, der kalder til fjerne venlige velbekjendte Stæder, – fører det skjønneste Beviis for Sjælens Udødelighed.
Journal FF:71
Here, admittedly, a difficulty might seem to arise, inasmuch as science, the zeal to understand, has filled its devotees and followers with enthusiasm, and to that extent understanding and enthusiasm do not seem to conflict with each other in this way. It must be noted, however, that a speculative thinker, for example, a natural scientist, and so on, who is genuinely enthusiastic about comprehending and understanding, does not notice that he himself constantly posits what he wants to cancel. He is enthusiastic about understanding everything else, but the fact that he himself is enthusiastic he never comes to understand, that is, he never comes to comprehend his own enthusiasm, while in it he is enthusiastic about comprehending everything else.
Vel kunde her synes at møde en Vanskelighed forsaavidt Videnskaben, Iveren for at forstaae har begeistret sine Dyrkere, og Tilhængere, og forsaavidt synes Forstaaelse og Begeistring ikke saaledes at stride mod hinanden. Imidlertid maa bemærkes, at en Spekulant for Exempel, en Naturforsker og saa videre der ret egentlig er begeistret for at begribe og forstaae, han mærker ikke at han selv bestandigt sætter det han vil ophæve. Han er begeistret for at forstaae alt Andet, men det at han selv er begeistret kommer han ikke til at forstaae ɔ: han kommer ikke til at begribe sin egen Begeistring, medens han i den er begeistret for at begribe alt Andet.
Journal NB:70
The daily press is and remains the evil principle in the modern world; in its sophistry it knows no limit, since it can always sink lower and lower in its choice of readers. As a result it stirs up all the wretchedness that no state can any longer master. There will always be only a few who truly see the untruth in the daily press’s existence, and of these few, again, only very few will have the courage to express it, because it is downright martyrdom to break with the majority and with what is widespread, which will persecute and mistreat such a person without letup.
Dag-Pressen er og bliver det onde Princip i den moderne Verden; sophistisk har den ingen Grændse, da den bestandigt kan synke længere og længere ned i Valget af Læsere. Som Følge deraf muddrer den al den Usselhed op som ingen Stat mere kan magte. Der vil bestandigt kun være Faae, der i Sandhed indsee Usandheden i Dag-Pressens Tilvær, men af disse Faae vil igjen kun meget faae have Mod til at udtrykke det, fordi det er et ligefremt Martyrium at bryde med Majoriteten og Udbredtheden, der i eet væk vil forfølge og mishandle en Saadan.
Journal NB2:29
But you, my listener, if you fear this silence, though you strive to have a conscience, for without silence there is no conscience at all, and to have a good conscience, then hold out, then endure it; this silence is not the silence of death, in which you perish; this sickness is not unto death; it is the transition to life.
Men Du, m. T., frygter Du denne Stilhed, skjøndt beflittende Dig paa at have en Samvittighed, thi uden Stilhed er denne slet ikke til, og paa at have en god Samvittighed, saa hold ud, saa hold den ud; denne Stilhed er ikke Dødens, hvori Du omkommer, den er ikke til Døden denne Sygdom, den er Overgangen til Livet.
Three Discourses on Imagined Occasions (SKS 5, 393)
Silence is the demon’s snare; and the more is kept silent, the more terrible the demon becomes, but silence is also the Godhead’s shared knowing with the single individual.
Taushed er Dæmonens Besnærelse; og jo mere der ties, jo forfærdeligere bliver Dæmonen, men Taushed er ogsaa Guddommens Samviden med den Enkelte.
Fear and Trembling (SKS 4, 178)