The essentially Christian is certainly the highest and the supremely highest, but, mark well, in such a way that to the natural man it is an offense. Anyone who, in defining the essentially Christian as the highest, omits the middle term of offense sins against it, is guilty of presumptuousness.... The way to the essentially Christian goes through offense. This does not mean that the approach to the essentially Christian should be to be offended by itthis would indeed be another way of preventing oneself from grasping the essentially Christianbut the offense guards the approach to the essentially Christian. Blessed is he who is not offended at it.
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There are men who are wanting in the comparative, they as a rule are the most interesting.Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have, for example, freedom of thought instead they demand freedom of speech as a compensation.
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Genius, like a thunderstorm, comes up against the wind.
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
The case with most men is that they go out into life with one or another accidental characteristic of personality of which they say Well, this is the way I am. I cannot do otherwise. Then the world gets to work on them and thus the majority of men are ground into conformity. In each generation a small part cling to their 'I cannot do otherwise' and lose their minds. Finally there are a very few in each generation who in spite of all life's terrors cling with more and more inwardness to this 'I cannot do otherwise'. They are the geniuses. Their 'I cannot do otherwise' is an infinite thought, for if one were to cling firmly to a finite thought, he would lose his mind.
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
In addition to my other numerous acquaintances, I have one more intimate confidant .... My depression is the most faithful mistress I have known no wonder, then, that I return the love.
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To the Christian, love is the works of love. To say that love is a feeling or anything of the kind is an unchristian conception of love. That is the aesthetic definition and therefore fits the erotic and everything of that nature. But to the Christian love is the works of love. Christ's love was not an inner feeling, a full heart and what not, it was the work of love which was his life.
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
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Based on Topics: Christianity QuotesBased on Keywords: omits, presumptuousness, supremely
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