--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course, if one's reading Kierkegaard…" description: "\"Of course, if one's reading Kierkegaard for personal interest that's fine - but it's sloppy scholarship just to cherry pick what suits one from a parti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/george-pattison-17005_authorship_of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-f_1748434.jpg" --- # Of course, if one's reading Kierkegaard for personal… ![“Of course, if one's reading Kierkegaard for personal interest that's fine - but it's sloppy scholarship just to cherry pick what suits one from a particular author, whether it's Kierkegaard, Heidegger, or whoever. Nevertheless, it does seem to me that even the more religious parts of the…” quote by George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/george-pattison-17005_authorship_of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-f_1748434.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/george-pattison-17005_authorship_of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-f_1748434.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/george-pattison-17005_authorship_of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-f_1748434.jpg) > “Of course, if one's reading Kierkegaard for personal interest that's fine - but it's sloppy scholarship just to cherry pick what suits one from a particular author, whether it's Kierkegaard, Heidegger, or whoever. Nevertheless, it does seem to me that even the more religious parts of the authorship can offer significant insights into the meaning of the human condition to those who can't then say that, e.g., they believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and their personal Saviour.” [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Selective reading of philosophers can yield insights but risks misinterpretation when context is ignored. **In simple terms:** Reading parts of philosophy can be helpful but may be incomplete. Key Takeaway Balance breadth with depth in study. Themes philosophy interpretation religion Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - academic research - personal study - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts Kierkegaard Heidegger contextual analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure comprehensive understanding? - What risks arise from cherry‑picking? A Different Perspective Overreliance on fragments can distort original meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authorship/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Human condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-condition/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Personal interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-interest/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Saviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saviour/) [Scholarship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholarship/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Son of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son-of-god/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“Sartre, Kierkegaard, Heidegger: cool guys, smart, lotta meat between the ears on those fellas, and certainly trying to define who we are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lee/sartre-kierkegaard-heidegger-cool-guys-smart-lotta-meat-between-the/) [Edward Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lee/) > [“For Kierkegaard, for Heidegger, for Sartre, the more profound the awareness, the more authentic the existence. They measure honesty and the essence of experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witold-gombrowicz/for-kierkegaard-for-heidegger-for-sartre-the-more-profound-the/) [Witold Gombrowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witold-gombrowicz/) > [Sartre is one example of someone who does just this. Every text is, after all, a human document and whatever Kierkegaard thought about God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/sartre-is-one-example-of-someone-who-does-just-this-every-text-is/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Perhaps unsurprisingly, there's a paradox here! Kierkegaard's own indirect communication proposes that we start with the experience of those who don't believe and meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/perhaps-unsurprisingly-there-s-a-paradox-here-kierkegaard-s-own/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [ But, inevitably, as he \[Kierkegaard\] approaches what we might call his Christocentric climax many readers drop off. Many scholars just leave that part of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/but-inevitably-as-he-kierkegaard-approaches-what-we-might-call-his/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [What it does remind us is that 'God' is not to be separated from the quest for the Kingdom of God and is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/what-it-does-remind-us-is-that-god-is-not-to-be-separated-from-the/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Every stroke a tennis player plays is different, yet we perceive them as playing in a distinctive and unique way. It's what Heidegger called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/every-stroke-a-tennis-player-plays-is-different-yet-we-perceive-them/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Religious life is about something real in human experience that is not constrained by what Wittgenstein called 'all that is the case'. In this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/religious-life-is-about-something-real-in-human-experience-that-is/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [ Positively, he \[Heidegger\] shows that the prospect of death doesn't of itself destroy all possibilities of meaning but calls instead for these to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/positively-he-heidegger-shows-that-the-prospect-of-death-doesn-t-of/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [In brief, I regard love as a more decisive focus of meaning than death. In terms of Heidegger's argument, this is because I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/in-brief-i-regard-love-as-a-more-decisive-focus-of-meaning-than-death/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [ I think he \[Heidegger\] sets the question up in a useful way and, despite appearances, he's not 'against' technology. He just wants us to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/i-think-he-heidegger-sets-the-question-up-in-a-useful-way-and-despite/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [But why should a religious person be interested in a work like Heidegger's that many regard as the epitome of nihilism? For a start,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/but-why-should-a-religious-person-be-interested-in-a-work-like/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [“as in Heinrich Heine’s (a contemporary of Kierkegaard’s) well-known saying that one should value above everything else ‘freedom, equality and crab soup’. ‘Crab soup’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/as-in-heinrich-heine-s-a-contemporary-of-kierkegaard-s-well-known/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [“As Kierkegaard said, “To venture causes anxiety; not to venture is to lose oneself.” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-krech/as-kierkegaard-said-to-venture-causes-anxiety-not-to-venture-is-to/) [Gregg Krech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-krech/) > [“I am poor—you are my riches; dark—you are my light; I own nothing, need nothing. And how could I own anything? After all, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/i-am-poor-you-are-my-riches-dark-you-are-my-light-i-own-nothing-need/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) ## More by George Pattison > [I'm not sure if Cupitt himself still uses this term, but it's useful in suggesting that, actually, there are more choices than the choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/i-m-not-sure-if-cupitt-himself-still-uses-this-term-but-it-s-useful/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [When I'm on the operating table, I'm happy for the surgeon to treat me as a machine, but the moment I return to consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/when-i-m-on-the-operating-table-i-m-happy-for-the-surgeon-to-treat-me/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [But why should a religious person be interested in a work like Heidegger's that many regard as the epitome of nihilism? For a start,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/but-why-should-a-religious-person-be-interested-in-a-work-like/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [And perhaps this has to do with what I sense is a turning away from the idea of religion as being about conserving a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/and-perhaps-this-has-to-do-with-what-i-sense-is-a-turning-away-from/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Perhaps unsurprisingly, there's a paradox here! Kierkegaard's own indirect communication proposes that we start with the experience of those who don't believe and meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/perhaps-unsurprisingly-there-s-a-paradox-here-kierkegaard-s-own/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [ I think he \[Heidegger\] sets the question up in a useful way and, despite appearances, he's not 'against' technology. He just wants us to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/i-think-he-heidegger-sets-the-question-up-in-a-useful-way-and-despite/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [I still read a lot about teenage angst! Of course, any kind of mourning CAN become pathological and then it 'has to stop', but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/i-still-read-a-lot-about-teenage-angst-of-course-any-kind-of-mourning/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [But my point is that 'the death of God' is not something like the Battle of Waterloo or Magna Charta. It's not a historic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/but-my-point-is-that-the-death-of-god-is-not-something-like-the/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Barth's approach tears up any possibility of dialogue between faith and unfaith or between theology and other human sciences. Theology just says what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/barth-s-approach-tears-up-any-possibility-of-dialogue-between-faith/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [ But, inevitably, as he \[Kierkegaard\] approaches what we might call his Christocentric climax many readers drop off. Many scholars just leave that part of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/but-inevitably-as-he-kierkegaard-approaches-what-we-might-call-his/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Essentially I see the new atheism as largely part of the crisis of the left. Having failed to carry through its agenda in relation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/essentially-i-see-the-new-atheism-as-largely-part-of-the-crisis-of/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [In brief, I regard love as a more decisive focus of meaning than death. In terms of Heidegger's argument, this is because I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/in-brief-i-regard-love-as-a-more-decisive-focus-of-meaning-than-death/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [It seems that just Being, the sheer fact of existence, that there is something rather than nothing, already inspires a wonder akin to religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/it-seems-that-just-being-the-sheer-fact-of-existence-that-there-is/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [ Positively, he \[Heidegger\] shows that the prospect of death doesn't of itself destroy all possibilities of meaning but calls instead for these to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/positively-he-heidegger-shows-that-the-prospect-of-death-doesn-t-of/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Schleiermacher, however, starts by attempting to find what he takes to be a basic element of the human condition as such, namely, that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/schleiermacher-however-starts-by-attempting-to-find-what-he-takes-to/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) [Explore all 38 George Pattison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) ## More Authorship quotes > [To write well is to think well, to feel well, and to render well; it is to possess at once intellect, soul, and taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-louis-leclerc-comte-de-buffon/to-write-well-is-to-think-well-to-feel-well-and-to-render-well-it-is/) [Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-louis-leclerc-comte-de-buffon/) > [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The writer, like a priest, must be exempted from secular labor. His work needs a frolic health; he must be at the top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-writer-like-a-priest-must-be-exempted-from-secular-labor-his-work/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“If there's a will, there's a way! I feel larger than LIFE--and look up to the stars who shine down on me and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-scrima-black/if-there-s-a-will-there-s-a-way-i-feel-larger-than-life-and-look-up/) Donna Scrima-Black > [“Every article and review and book that I have ever published has constituted an appeal to the person or persons to whom I should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/every-article-and-review-and-book-that-i-have-ever-published-has/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ Ye who write, choose a subject suited to your abilities. \[Lat., Sumite materiam vestris, qui scribitis, aequam Viribus.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/ye-who-write-choose-a-subject-suited-to-your-abilities-lat-sumite/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Authorship, according to the spirit in which it is pursued, is an infancy, a pastime, a labor, a handicraft, an art, a science, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilhelm-von-schlegel/authorship-according-to-the-spirit-in-which-it-is-pursued-is-an/) [August Wilhelm Von Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilhelm-von-schlegel/) > [Authorship has never been with me a matter of choice. I have not done it for amusement, or for money, or for fame, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-martineau/authorship-has-never-been-with-me-a-matter-of-choice-i-have-not-done/) [Harriet Martineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-martineau/) > [So there's a lot of people tied into believing that the traditional response to the authorship question. In terms of actors, some people get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/so-there-s-a-lot-of-people-tied-into-believing-that-the-traditional/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [Our favorites are few; since only what rises from the heart reaches it, being caught and carried on the tongues of men wheresoever love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-bronson-alcott/our-favorites-are-few-since-only-what-rises-from-the-heart-reaches-it/) [Amos Bronson Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-bronson-alcott/) > [Subtract from many modern poets all that may be found in Shakespeare, and trash will remain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/subtract-from-many-modern-poets-all-that-may-be-found-in-shakespeare/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [ All these teachers and \[screenwriting\] books mean you see movies that have been worked over by more committees wielding more rules, that all originality… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/all-these-teachers-and-screenwriting-books-mean-you-see-movies-that/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [That author, however, who has thought more than he has read, read more than he has written, and written more than he has published,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/that-author-however-who-has-thought-more-than-he-has-read-read-more/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [To expect an author to talk as he writes is ridiculous; or even if he did you would find fault with him as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/to-expect-an-author-to-talk-as-he-writes-is-ridiculous-or-even-if-he/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [“Try to be someone upon whom nothing is lost!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/try-to-be-someone-upon-whom-nothing-is-lost/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) [Browse all 190 Authorship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authorship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Of course, if one's reading Kierkegaard for personal interest that's fine - but it's sloppy scholarship just to cherry pick what suits one from a particular author, whether it's Kierkegaard, Heidegger, or whoever. Nevertheless, it does seem to me that even the more religious parts of the authorship can offer significant insights into the meaning of the human condition to those who can't then say that, e.g., they believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and their personal Saviour.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Pattison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-for-personal-interest-that-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authorship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-for-personal-interest-that-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/george-pattison-17005_authorship_of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-f_1748434.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/george-pattison-17005_authorship_of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-f_1748434.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/george-pattison-17005_authorship_of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-f_1748434.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Of course, if one's reading Kierkegaard for personal interest that's fine - but it's sloppy scholarship just…” — George Pattison", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Pattison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Of course, if one's reading Kierkegaard...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-for-personal-interest-that-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-for-personal-interest-that-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```