A person who speaks like a book is exceedingly boring to listen to; sometimes, however, it is not inappropriate to talk in that way. For a book has the remarkable property that it can be interpreted any way you wish. If one talks like a book ones conversation acquires this property too. I kept quite soberly to the usual formulas. She was surprised, as Id expected; that cant be denied. To describe to myself how she looked is difficult. She seemed multifaceted; yes just about like the still to be published but announced commentary to my book, a commentary capable of any interpretation. One word and she would have laughed at me; another and she would have been moved; still another and she would have shunned me; but no such word came to my lips. I remained solemnly unemotional and kept to the ritual. She had known me for such a short time, dear God, its only on the strait path of engagement one meets such difficulties, not the primrose path of love.from_Either/Or: A Fragment of Life_. Abridged, Translated and with an Introduction and Notes by Alastair Hannay, p. 312

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About Soren Kierkegaard

Soren Kierkegaard was a 19th-century Danish theologian and philosopher. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christianity, morality, ethics, psychology, love, and the philosophy of religion, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony, and parables. Read more on Wikipedia →

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  • Love — Quotes exploring romantic love, compassion, and human connection
  • Philosophy — Deep thoughts on existence, knowledge, and the nature of reality

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