Happy Easter, Søren Kierkegaard
Visiting my mentor’s grave.
This Easter, I finally got around to visiting the grave of Søren Kierkegaard — the father of existential philosophy.
What better day than Easter Sunday to visit one of Christianity’s most famous philosophers?
Kierkegaard’s work on existential anxiety and the Leap of Faith has helped me through some very difficult decisions. In life, we lack perfect information and it is often better to act on faith than be paralysed by our anxiety. We should not be overly absorbed in comfort, identity, or expectations (the finite). Nor, should we be stunned to inaction by life’s limitless possibilities and the weight of our decisions. Only by threading the needle between these two aspects of our character can we live a good, authentic life.
Authenticity through action.
I often find myself thinking that the scientific method is the only logical part of an academic career.
Where should I work? Who should I work with? What should I work on? How can I put my short career to best use when I don’t even know if I will be employed in six months?
Logic can only take us so far when answering these questions.
Sometimes you have to roll the dice.
Sometimes you have to walk away.
It is impossible to know which path is correct.
At the very least, Kierkegaard reminds us that we are not alone in these anxieties. They are innate to our humanity. And that is a great comfort.
It sounds trite, but I may not be living in Copenhagen today, had I not stumbled across his work. So, it was about time I made the pilgrimage.
Unlike the great philosopher I didn’t have much to say. Only a quick: “Tusind tak!” and “Glædlig Påske.”
Happy Easter, Søren. And thanks for everything!
