--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The practical consequence of…" description: "\"“The practical consequence of Kierkegaard's depth psychology means that when I look at myself in the mirror, or when I contemplate my greatest achievem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/mark-a-tietjen-72627_psychology_the-practical-consequence-of-kierkegaard_885096.jpg" --- # The practical consequence of Kierkegaard's depth… ![“The practical consequence of Kierkegaard's depth psychology means that when I look at myself in the mirror, or when I contemplate my greatest achievements, or when I ponder my sin, or when I think of what's possible for me to accomplish, or when I consider the limits to my freedom, I ponder myself…” quote by Mark A. Tietjen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/mark-a-tietjen-72627_psychology_the-practical-consequence-of-kierkegaard_885096.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/mark-a-tietjen-72627_psychology_the-practical-consequence-of-kierkegaard_885096.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/mark-a-tietjen-72627_psychology_the-practical-consequence-of-kierkegaard_885096.jpg) > ““The practical consequence of Kierkegaard's depth psychology means that when I look at myself in the mirror, or when I contemplate my greatest achievements, or when I ponder my sin, or when I think of what's possible for me to accomplish, or when I consider the limits to my freedom, I ponder myself through God or with God in view.”” Mark A. Tietjen ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that self‑reflection, achievement, sin, possibility, and freedom are all understood through a relationship with the divine, framing personal identity in theological terms. **In simple terms:** We see ourselves through God. Key Takeaway Reflect on life with spiritual perspective. Themes identity theology self‑reflection freedom achievement Mood contemplative introspective Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal journaling - career planning - moral decision‑making - spiritual counseling - creative goal‑setting Key Concepts Existentialism depth psychology theodicy Questions to Reflect On - How does faith shape your sense of limits? - Can you find meaning without a divine reference? A Different Perspective May overlook secular or non‑theistic viewpoints on self‑understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [“when it comes to the postmodern applications and contemporary relevance of depth psychology, the Jungian perspective is where the action is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hauke/when-it-comes-to-the-postmodern-applications-and-contemporary/) Christopher Hauke > [“Free man, you will always cherish the sea! The sea is your mirror; you contemplate your soul In the infinite unrolling of its billows;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/free-man-you-will-always-cherish-the-sea-the-sea-is-your-mirror-you/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [The universe is the mirror in which we can contemplate only what we have learned to know in ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-universe-is-the-mirror-in-which-we-can-contemplate-only-what-we/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“Given his emphasis on human freedom it is no wonder why some champion Kierkegaard as the father of existentialism, a philosophy that prices choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-a-tietjen/given-his-emphasis-on-human-freedom-it-is-no-wonder-why-some-champion/) Mark A. Tietjen > [What Kierkegaard said about love is also true of creativity: every person must start at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/what-kierkegaard-said-about-love-is-also-true-of-creativity-every/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [I ... had what Kierkegaard called 'the sickness of infinitude,' wandering from one path to another with no real recognition that I was embarked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-had-what-kierkegaard-called-the-sickness-of-infinitude-wandering/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [“I venture to say Kierkegaard meant that truth has lost its force with us and horrible pain and evil must teach it to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-venture-to-say-kierkegaard-meant-that-truth-has-lost-its-force-with/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“It was not surprising that after the war Dostoevsky was linked to Kierkegaard as a prophet of social resignation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jay/it-was-not-surprising-that-after-the-war-dostoevsky-was-linked-to/) Martin Jay > [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/) > [“What is particularly striking about his reconstruction and criticisms of the traditional account of friendship is that he finds it deficient not only by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-smith/what-is-particularly-striking-about-his-reconstruction-and-criticisms/) Graham Smith > [“And therefore, all of those for whom authentic transformation has deeply unseated their souls must, I believe, wrestle with the profound moral obligation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/and-therefore-all-of-those-for-whom-authentic-transformation-has/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [“I would have liked to say, "I'm a doctor," to those who asked me what I did, doctors being the current purveyors of magic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-would-have-liked-to-say-i-m-a-doctor-to-those-who-asked-me-what-i/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“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 Mark A. Tietjen > [“Having placed himself on the level of the world for humans to choose between, God nevertheless stipulates that a choice must be made, human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-a-tietjen/having-placed-himself-on-the-level-of-the-world-for-humans-to-choose/) Mark A. Tietjen > [“Much of the apathy we express toward those we would describe as hopeless can be tied back to a failure of faith in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-a-tietjen/much-of-the-apathy-we-express-toward-those-we-would-describe-as/) Mark A. Tietjen > [“Given his emphasis on human freedom it is no wonder why some champion Kierkegaard as the father of existentialism, a philosophy that prices choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-a-tietjen/given-his-emphasis-on-human-freedom-it-is-no-wonder-why-some-champion/) Mark A. Tietjen Explore all 4 Mark A. Tietjen quotes ## More Kierkegaard quotes > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“I would have liked to say, "I'm a doctor," to those who asked me what I did, doctors being the current purveyors of magic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-would-have-liked-to-say-i-m-a-doctor-to-those-who-asked-me-what-i/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“And therefore, all of those for whom authentic transformation has deeply unseated their souls must, I believe, wrestle with the profound moral obligation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/and-therefore-all-of-those-for-whom-authentic-transformation-has/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [“What is particularly striking about his reconstruction and criticisms of the traditional account of friendship is that he finds it deficient not only by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-smith/what-is-particularly-striking-about-his-reconstruction-and-criticisms/) Graham Smith > [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/) > [“It was not surprising that after the war Dostoevsky was linked to Kierkegaard as a prophet of social resignation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jay/it-was-not-surprising-that-after-the-war-dostoevsky-was-linked-to/) Martin Jay > [“I venture to say Kierkegaard meant that truth has lost its force with us and horrible pain and evil must teach it to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-venture-to-say-kierkegaard-meant-that-truth-has-lost-its-force-with/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [I ... had what Kierkegaard called 'the sickness of infinitude,' wandering from one path to another with no real recognition that I was embarked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-had-what-kierkegaard-called-the-sickness-of-infinitude-wandering/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [What Kierkegaard said about love is also true of creativity: every person must start at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/what-kierkegaard-said-about-love-is-also-true-of-creativity-every/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [“I never really saw the celerity of your heart When steadily fighting off the Kierkegaardian part I listened to Plutarch While you threw out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/i-never-really-saw-the-celerity-of-your-heart-when-steadily-fighting/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [ 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/) > [Kierkegaard was by far the most profound thinker of the last century. Kierkegaard was a saint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/kierkegaard-was-by-far-the-most-profound-thinker-of-the-last-century/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [“My love consumes me. Only my voice is left, a voice which has fallen in love with you whispers to you everywhere that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/my-love-consumes-me-only-my-voice-is-left-a-voice-which-has-fallen-in/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) Browse all 68 Kierkegaard quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The practical consequence of Kierkegaard's depth psychology means that when I look at myself in the mirror, or when I contemplate my greatest achievements, or when I ponder my sin, or when I think of what's possible for me to accomplish, or when I consider the limits to my freedom, I ponder myself through God or with God in view.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark A. 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