51 Søren Kierkegaard Quotes on Life (TRUTH)

Top 10 Most Famous Søren Kierkegaard Quotes (BEST)

Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.

To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself. — To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.

Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts.

Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. — There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. — The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to **change** the nature of the one who prays.

Life has its own hidden forces which you can only discover by living.

The most painful state of being is remembering the future, particularly the one you'll never have. — The most painful state of being is remembering the **future**, particularly the one you’ll never have.

The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins.

15 Søren Kierkegaard Quotes on Love and Truth (FAITH)

It is not where we breathe, but where we Love, that we live. — It is not where we **breathe**, but where we **Love**, that we live.

Love is all, it gives all, and it takes all. — **Love** is all, it gives all, and it takes all.

Truth is not introduced into the individual from without, but was within him all the time. — **Truth** is not introduced into the individual from without, but was within him all the **time**.

During the first period of a man's life, the greatest danger is not to take the risk. — During the first period of a man’s life, the greatest danger is not to take the risk.

Patience is necessary, and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown. — **Patience** is necessary, and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown.

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. — People demand **freedom** of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.

To cheat oneself out of love is the most terrible deception; it is an eternal loss for which there is no reparation, either in time or in eternity. — To cheat oneself out of **love** is the most terrible deception; it is an eternal loss for which there is no reparation, either in time or in eternity.

People understand me so poorly that they don't even understand my complaint about them not understanding me. — People understand me so poorly that they don’t even understand my complaint about them not understanding me.

Love is the expression of the one who loves, not of the one who is loved. Those who think they can love only the people they prefer do not love at all. — **Love** is the expression of the one who loves, not of the one who is loved. Those who think they can love only the people they prefer do not love at all.

Love discovers truths about individuals that others cannot see. — **Love** discovers truths about individuals that others cannot see.

People settle for a level of despair they can tolerate and call it happiness. — People settle for a level of despair they can tolerate and call it **happiness**.

What if everything in the world were a misunderstanding, what if laughter were really tears? — What if everything in the world were a misunderstanding, what if **laughter** were really tears?

It was completely fruitless to quarrel with the world, whereas the quarrel with oneself was occasionally fruitful and always, she had to admit, interesting.

Love does not alter the beloved, it alters itself. — **Love** does not alter the beloved, it alters itself.

Purity of heart is to will one thing. — **Purity** of heart is to will one thing.

26 Inspirational Søren Kierkegaard Quotes About Life (PHILOSOPHY)

“The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly.”
Søren Kierkegaard

It is better to try something and fail than to try nothing and succeed. The result may be the same, but you won't be. We always grow more through defeats than victories. — It is better to try something and fail than to try nothing and succeed. The result may be the same, but you won’t be. We always grow more through defeats than victories.

The most common form of despair is not being who you are.

Boredom is the root of all evil - the despairing refusal to be oneself. — Boredom is the root of all evil – the despairing refusal to be oneself.

There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming.

If anyone on the verge of action should judge himself according to the outcome, he would never begin. — If anyone on the verge of **action** should judge himself according to the outcome, he would never begin.

Take a chance and you may lose. Take not a chance and you have lost already.

It seems essential, in relationships and all tasks, that we concentrate only on what is most significant and important.

God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.

To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one's self... And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one's self. — To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one’s self… And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one’s self.

Confidence is the present tense of hope. — **Confidence** is the present tense of **hope**.

Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom. — Anxiety is the dizziness of **freedom**.

It is hard to believe because it is hard to obey.

Trouble is the common denominator of living. It is the great equalizer.

Old age realizes the dreams of youth: look at Dean Swift; in his youth he built an asylum for the insane, in his old age he was himself an inmate. — Old age realizes the **dreams** of youth: look at Dean Swift; in his youth he built an asylum for the insane, in his old age he was himself an inmate.

Take away paradox from the thinker and you have a professor.

Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are. — Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what **changes** what you are.

I see it all perfectly; there are two possible situations — one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it — you will regret both.

I think that's just how the world will come to an end to general applause from wits who believe it's a joke. — I think that’s just how the world will come to an end: to general applause from wits who believe it’s a joke.

The proud person always wants to do the right thing, the great thing. But because he wants to do it in his own strength, he is fighting not with man, but with God.

At the bottom of enmity between strangers lies indifference.

The self-assured believer is a greater sinner in the eyes of God than the troubled disbeliever.

The question is not To be or not to be, it is what we should be until we are not. — The question is not “To be or not to be”, it is what we should be until we are not.

Faith is the highest passion in a human being. Many in every generation may not come that far, but none comes further. — **Faith** is the highest passion in a human being. Many in every generation may not come that far, but none comes further.

I found I had less and less to say, until finally, I became silent, and began to listen. I discovered in the silence, the voice of God.

Søren Kierkegaard Short Biography

Born on 5 May 1813 in Copenhagen, Denmark-Norway, Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a philosopher, poet, and author.

He was enrolled in the University of Copenhagen in 1830 but only finished his studies 11 years later in 1841.

Kierkegaard devoted his years of study to philosophy and literature, and when his father had died, he became more serious about his studies.

Kierkegaard finished his dissertation entitled On the Concept of Irony: with Constant Reference of Socrates, in June 1841.

At some point in time, his relationship with his fiancé had imploded and ended abruptly, making Kierkegaard distraught. It was during this time that he had produced a majority of his literary work, such as Either/Or: A Fragment of Life, published in 1843, and Philosophical Fragments published a year later.

Kierkegaard had also written a series of journals, which helped further explain his views on philosophy. These journals were published in 13 volumes, and the English versions were released in 1938.

Kierkegaard had also been known to write several of his works under pseudonyms.

Further Reading:

The Startling Prayer Life of Søren Kierkegaard – America Magazine
Søren Kierkegaard’s Struggle with Himself – The New Yorker
On Kierkegaard, Authenticity, and How a Person Should Be – Literary Hub

Here are the best Søren Kierkegaard quotes so you can learn the essence of living in the moment to help you practice patience and mindfulness.

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Søren Kierkegaard Short Biography

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