--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And so when the generation, which itself…" description: "\"“And so when the generation, which itself desired to level and to be emancipated, to destroy authority and at the same time itself, has, through the sc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_nature-of-man_and-so-when-the-generation-which-itself_1640901.jpg" --- # And so when the generation, which itself desired to level… ![“And so when the generation, which itself desired to level and to be emancipated, to destroy authority and at the same time itself, has, through the scepticism of the principle association, started the hopeless forest fire of abstraction; when as a result of levelling with this scepticism, the…” quote by Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_nature-of-man_and-so-when-the-generation-which-itself_1640901.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_nature-of-man_and-so-when-the-generation-which-itself_1640901.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_nature-of-man_and-so-when-the-generation-which-itself_1640901.jpg) > ““And so when the generation, which itself desired to level and to be emancipated, to destroy authority and at the same time itself, has, through the scepticism of the principle association, started the hopeless forest fire of abstraction; when as a result of levelling with this scepticism, the generation has rid itself of the individual and of everything organic and concrete, and put in its place 'humanity' and the numerical equality of man and man: when the generation has, for a moment, delighted in this unlimited panorama of abstract infinity, unrelieved by even the smallest eminence, undisturbed by even the slightest interest, a sea of desert; then the time has come for work to begin, for every individual must work for himself, each for himself. No longer can the individual, as in former times, turn to the great for help when he grows confused. That is past; he is either lost in the dizziness of unending abstraction or saved for ever in the reality of religion. Perhaps very many will cry out in despair, but it will not help them--already it is too late...Nor shall any of the unrecognizable presume to help directly or to speak directly or to teach directly at the head of the masses, in order to direct their decisions, instead of giving his negative support and so helping the individual to make the decision which he himself has reached; any other course would be the end of him, because he would be indulging in the short-sighted compassion of man, instead of obeying the order of divinity, of an angry, yet so merciful, divinity. For the development is, in spite of everything, a progress because all the individuals who are saved will receive the specific weight of religion, its essence at first hand, from God himself. Then it will be said: 'behold, all is in readiness, see how the cruelty of abstraction makes the true form of worldliness only too evident, the abyss of eternity opens before you, the sharp scythe of the leveller makes it possible for every one individually to leap over the blade--and behold, it is God who waits. Leap, then, into the arms of God'. But the 'unrecognizable' neither can nor dares help man, not even his most faithful disciple, his mother, or the girl for whom he would gladly give his life: they must make the leap themselves, for God's love is not a second-hand gift. And yet the 'unrecognizable' neither can nor dares help man, not even his most faithful disciple, his mother, or the girl for whom he would gladly give his life: they must make the leap themselves, for God's love is not a second-hand gift. And yet the 'unrecognizable' (according to his degree) will have a double work compared with the 'outstanding' man (of the same degree), because he will not only have to work continuously, but at the same time labour to conceal his work.”” [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that excessive abstraction erodes individuality, urging personal responsibility and authentic faith over collective nihilism **In simple terms:** Too much abstraction destroys personal meaning; act authentically Key Takeaway Prioritize personal authenticity over abstract conformity Themes individualism faith authenticity Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical provocative When to use this quote - Academic lectures - personal decision making - spiritual practice - social activism Key Concepts Existentialism critical theory religious philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What concrete actions can you take to ground abstract ideas? - How does personal faith shape your decisions? A Different Perspective Abstract ideas can be seductive but may lead to disengagement from concrete reality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Generation Desired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-desired-567231/) [God Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-said-239047/) [God'S Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-s-love/) [Levelling Scepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levelling-scepticism-567233/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Religion Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-essence-567230/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Unending Abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unending-abstraction-567232/) ## Related quotes > [“It strikes me that religion—in its essence—seeks to take natural events and ascribe supernatural causes to them. 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Problems are ones private property and we shouldnt meddle into them self-initiatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/every-human-creates-his-own-problems-problems-are-ones-private/) [Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“In the United States law, federally designated wilderness is famously defined as 'an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-marris/in-the-united-states-law-federally-designated-wilderness-is-famously/) [Emma Marris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-marris/) > [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. 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No longer can the individual, as in former times, turn to the great for help when he grows confused. That is past; he is either lost in the dizziness of unending abstraction or saved for ever in the reality of religion. Perhaps very many will cry out in despair, but it will not help them--already it is too late...Nor shall any of the unrecognizable presume to help directly or to speak directly or to teach directly at the head of the masses, in order to direct their decisions, instead of giving his negative support and so helping the individual to make the decision which he himself has reached; any other course would be the end of him, because he would be indulging in the short-sighted compassion of man, instead of obeying the order of divinity, of an angry, yet so merciful, divinity. For the development is, in spite of everything, a progress because all the individuals who are saved will receive the specific weight of religion, its essence at first hand, from God himself. Then it will be said: 'behold, all is in readiness, see how the cruelty of abstraction makes the true form of worldliness only too evident, the abyss of eternity opens before you, the sharp scythe of the leveller makes it possible for every one individually to leap over the blade--and behold, it is God who waits. Leap, then, into the arms of God'. But the 'unrecognizable' neither can nor dares help man, not even his most faithful disciple, his mother, or the girl for whom he would gladly give his life: they must make the leap themselves, for God's love is not a second-hand gift. And yet the 'unrecognizable' neither can nor dares help man, not even his most faithful disciple, his mother, or the girl for whom he would gladly give his life: they must make the leap themselves, for God's love is not a second-hand gift. 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