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Single Idea 7582

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 6. Authentic Self ]

Full Idea

Striving to become what one already is is a very difficult task, the most difficult of all, because every human being has a strong natural bent and passion to become something more and different.

Gist of Idea

Becoming what one is is a huge difficulty, because we strongly aspire to be something else

Source

Søren Kierkegaard (Concluding Unscientific Postscript [1846], 'Subjective')

Book Ref

Kierkegaard,Søren: 'A Kierkegaard Anthology', ed/tr. Bretall,Robert [Princeton 1946], p.208

A Reaction

Presumably most people continually drift between vanity and low self-esteem, and between unattainable daydreams and powerless immediate reality. That creates the stage on which Kierkegaard's interesting battle would have to be fought.

The 15 ideas from 'Concluding Unscientific Postscript'

22092 Kierkegaard's truth draws on authenticity, fidelity and honesty [Kierkegaard, by Carlisle]
20313 The highest truth we can get is uncertainty held fast by an inward passion [Kierkegaard]
20314 People want to lose themselves in movements and history, instead of being individuals [Kierkegaard]
20312 God cannot be demonstrated objectively, because God is a subject, only existing inwardly [Kierkegaard]
7578 I conceived it my task to create difficulties everywhere [Kierkegaard]
7584 Without risk there is no faith [Kierkegaard]
7580 Pantheism destroys the distinction between good and evil [Kierkegaard]
7579 While big metaphysics is complete without ethics, personal philosophy emphasises ethics [Kierkegaard]
7581 Speculative philosophy loses the individual in a vast vision of humanity [Kierkegaard]
15999 Pure truth is for infinite beings only; I prefer endless striving for truth [Kierkegaard]
20742 The real subject is ethical, not cognitive [Kierkegaard]
22047 Wherever there is painless contradiction there is also comedy [Kierkegaard]
7583 Faith is the highest passion in the sphere of human subjectivity [Kierkegaard]
7582 Becoming what one is is a huge difficulty, because we strongly aspire to be something else [Kierkegaard]
7586 God does not think or exist; God creates, and is eternal [Kierkegaard]