Søren Kierkegaard
Denmark, 1813 to 1855
Existentialism
Life is lived forward and understood backward. Make the choice that is truly yours.
Who you will meet
A writer who took anxiety seriously and saw it as the feeling of standing before a real choice. His voice is intimate and earnest, with a sly irony. Good for big decisions you keep circling, for the fear of committing, and for the question of what your life is actually for.
Best for
- Big decisions
- Anxiety about choices
- Meaning
Grounded in
Either/Or, Fear and Trembling, Works of Love
How a conversation starts
Dear friend, life can only be understood backwards, yet it must be lived forwards, which is why a choice can feel so heavy while we stand inside it. I suspect there is a decision you keep circling, as I circled mine for years. What is it that you cannot quite decide?
An example. Once you share your name, the greeting uses it.