What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know, except in so far as a certain knowledge must precede every actio… - Søren Kierkegaard

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What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know, except in so far as a certain knowledge must precede every action. The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do: the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die. ... I certainly do not deny that I still recognize an imperative of knowledge and that through it one can work upon men, but it must be taken up into my life, and that is what I now recognize as the most important thing.

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About Søren Kierkegaard

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danish Christian philosopher and theologian, considered to be a founder of Existentialist thought and Absurdist traditions. He wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christendom, morality, ethics, psychology and philosophy of religion, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and parables.

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Native Name: Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
Alternative Names: Kierkegaard • Victor Eremita • Climacus • Anti-Climacus • Sören Aaby Kierkegaard
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The thing is to understand myself: the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die. That is what I now recognize as the most important thing.
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What I really need is to get clear about what I must do, not what I must know, except insofar as knowledge must precede every act. What matters is to find a purpose, to see what it really is that God wills that I shall do; the crucial thing is to find a truth which is truth for me, to find the idea for which I am willing to live and die.
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It is a question of discovering a truth which is truth for me, of finding the idea for which I am willing to live and die.
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Originators like Søren Kierkegaard:
Friedrich Nietzsche C. S. Lewis G. K. Chesterton Leo Tolstoy Hermann Hesse

Additional quotes by Søren Kierkegaard

It's better to get lost in the passion than to lose the passion
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