Soren Kierkegaard

Listen to the cry of a woman in labor at the hour of giving birth — look at the dying man's struggle at his last extremity, and then tell me whether something that begins and ends thus could be intended for enjoyment.

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

The paradox is really the pathos of intellectual life and just as only great souls are exposed to passions it is only the great thinker who is exposed to what I call paradoxes, which are nothing else than grandiose thoughts in embryo.

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.

Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.

Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.

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.

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

Once you label me you negate me.

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

Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts.

What is a poet? An unhappy person who conceals profound anguish in his heart but whose lips are so formed that as sighs and cries pass over them they sound like beautiful music.

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.