Søren Kierkegaard: The tyrant dies and his rule is over

The tyrant dies and his rule is over; the martyr dies and his rule begins.
- Søren Kierkegaard

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
- Søren Kierkegaard

It belongs to the imperfection of everything human that man can only attain his desire by passing through its opposite.
- Søren Kierkegaard


For all its critical analysis philosophy has not yet managed to root out its psychopaths. What do we have psychiatric diagnosis for? That grizzler Kierkegaard also belongs in this galere.
Carl Jung, Personal letter to Arnold Kiinzli, 28 February 1943