Works Of Love Book PDF Free Download
Excerpt From The Book
IF it was true, as a conceited cleverness believes, proud of not being imposed upon, that one should believe nothing that one does not see with the sensual eye.
Then must one first and foremost cease to believe in love. And if one did this and did it for fear of being deceived, would one then not be deceived?
One may be deceived in many ways; one may be deceived by believing the false, but one may also be deceived by not believing the truth; one may be deceived by appearances.
But one may also be deceived by the appearance of shrewdness, by the flattering conceit which is absolutely certain it cannot be deceived.
And which deception is the more dangerous? Whose recovery is the more doubtful, that of one who does not see, or his who sees and yet does not see?
Which is more difficult to awaken one who is sleeping, or to awaken one who, awaking, dreams that he is awake? Which sight is more distressing.
One which immediately and unequivocally moves one to tears, the sight of the unhappy deception of love, or that which in a certain sense might occasion laughter.
The sight of the self-delusion whose foolish conceit of being incapable of being deceived is certainly ridiculous and something to laugh at.
Was not the ridiculous here an even stronger expression for horror, because it indicates that the one self-deceived is not even worthy of tears?
To defraud oneself of love is the most terrible deception of all. It is an eternal loss for which there is no compensation either here or in eternity.
| Author | Soren Kierkegaard |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 329 |
| PDF Size | 39.3 MB |
| Category | Literature |
Works Of Love Book PDF Free Download