Fear and Trembling Quotes

Context

This quote is taken from the philosophical book Fear and Trembling, which Søren Kierkegaard published in 1843 under the name "John of the Silence." 

Kierkegaard brings up this idea while he's talking about the biblical story of Abraham. For those not in the know, Abraham was an old dude whom God told to kill his only son. Why, you ask? Because God apparently wanted to test his devotion. But for Kierkegaard, the answer isn't so simple. For him, there's a contradiction in the fact that an individual like God can totally go back on his own commandments (like "Thou shalt not kill") and say they don't matter. The whole point of these commandments is that they can never be disobeyed, so God is basically undermining himself by testing Abraham this way. For Kierkegaard, this sort of tension is always present in Christian religion.

Where you've heard it

You won't find this quote in any famous movies, songs, or TV shows. But you might hear it if you ever come across people debating the pros and cons of the Christian religion. And if you've ever set foot near a college dorm, you've probably heard that argument. Of course, people will most likely bring this quote up without actually understanding what Kierkegaard means by it. So if you ever hear it, just be sure to say, "Go on…" once the person has finished quoting it. We're willing to bet that it'll make for a deliciously awkward pause.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Chances are that you won't even get past the word "paradox" before someone rolls their eyes at you for quoting this line. And even if you manage to get through the thing, someone's probably going to ask you what the quote means. This can be a tricky thing to answer. Our advice for now is to mutter the quote under your breath instead of flashing it in front of a big audience.