''Risks ''- Poem by Søren Kierkegaard - Feeding the Soul
Good morning!
Today, the post will be to feed and cool your soul. So many moments in our lives that we pay attention to the little things, that when we realize they take care over our mind causing us concerns, often unnecessary. In these moments the best thing to do is to divert our attention to things that will move up and direct our thoughts, thus calming our minds and relieving our pains. Thinking about it, I brought a poem for reflection, and yes, let's direct our heart and our mind to something greater, that transports us to the top, and so we can continue our daily journey, with heart and mind relieved.
It is a poem by Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, where below I make a brief summary of the one who is considered the "Father of Existentialism".
The Poem is ''Risks'', even in the poem I found different titles, but I chose this one, after all the content is the same, really beautiful!!
A brief summary about Søren Kierkegaard
Born on 5 May 1813, Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish theologian, poet, author and a philosopher of existentialism. He wrote extensively on religion, morality, ethics, human psychology and religious philosophy. He focused on the importance of a single human being and his choices, and gave precedence to concrete truth over abstract thinking.
Søren Kierkegaard prolifically wrote in various forms and styles, covering a wide range of topics, from Christendom to philosophy to Aesthetics. He attempted an array of rhetorical methods, such as polemical, dialectical, humor, and satire et cetera, all exclusively penned down to deepen the understanding of the subject.
He was an unhappy, neurotic, and terribly suffering man. He opposed all strict philosophical constructions, and hid his thoughts behind a number of pseudonyms, which sometimes ironically commented on each other's opinions. During his career Kierkegaard published some 30 books.
Apart from being a world class theologian, psychologist, poet, author, humorist, and a social theorist, he was mainly known as the Father of Existentialism. His philosophy revolves around Existentialism, a theory which suggests that a human being is completely free and has the capability of making his own choices as he wills.
Kierkegaard also delved into the psychology of anxiety and angst, linking it with religion. He believed that a person’s most important goal in life should be creating a self which has complete faith in God, as only faith will lead him to salvation. Thus this puts a responsibility on the individual, as his choices in life will only decide whether or not he will be salvated. Such a situation fills an individual with dread and angst at every decision he takes in life, as the freedom of choice exhilarates him, while the consequence of his decisions worries him.
Søren Kierkegaard passed away on the 11 November 1855. His work remained limited to Scandinavia, but the 20th century saw the revival of his philosophy, as it influenced the West everlastingly.
Below, I quote some of the works left by him, noting that numerous of them are available in PDF, including short documentaries on YouTube.
Books
The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air
The Sickness unto Death
Fear and Trembling
Works of Love
The Seducer's Diary