--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Faith is namely this paradox that the…" description: "\"“Faith is namely this paradox that the single individual is higher than the universal”\" — Søren Kierkegaard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1b/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_faith_faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-si_2713417.jpg" --- # Faith is namely this paradox that the single individual is… ![“Faith is namely this paradox that the single individual is higher than the universal” quote by Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1b/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_faith_faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-si_2713417.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1b/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_faith_faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-si_2713417.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1b/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_faith_faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-si_2713417.jpg) > ““Faith is namely this paradox that the single individual is higher than the universal”” [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. Faith is a paradox where the individual transcends universal norms, placing personal belief above collective standards. **In simple terms:** Faith puts personal belief above universal norms. Key Takeaway Value personal conviction over conformity. Themes faith paradox individualism universal Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - personal decision making - ethical dilemmas - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism subjectivity Questions to Reflect On - How does personal faith conflict with societal norms? - Can paradoxical faith be rational? A Different Perspective Universal truths may challenge personal faith. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Paradox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradox/) [Single individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-individual/) ## Related quotes > [Faith is precisely the paradox that the single individual as the single individual is higher than the universal, is justified before it, not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/faith-is-precisely-the-paradox-that-the-single-individual-as-the/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“It is now my intention to draw out from the story of Abraham the dialectical consequences inherent in it, expressing them in the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kierkegaard-s-ren/it-is-now-my-intention-to-draw-out-from-the-story-of-abraham-the/) [Kierkegaard, Søren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kierkegaard-s-ren/) > [“Then faith's paradox is this: that the single individual is higher than the universal, that the single individual determines his relation to the universal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/then-faith-s-paradox-is-this-that-the-single-individual-is-higher/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“It was that his words, his telling, just did not synchronize with what his hearers believed would (and must) be the scope of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-that-his-words-his-telling-just-did-not-synchronize-with-what/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Believe that you can even as a single individual, you can change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-tanner/believe-that-you-can-even-as-a-single-individual-you-can-change-the/) [Evan Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-tanner/) > [A school of art or of anything else is to be looked on as a single individual, who keeps talking to himself for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/a-school-of-art-or-of-anything-else-is-to-be-looked-on-as-a-single/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [in race relations, the single gesture and the single individual are more often than not doomed to failure. Only the group and the long-term,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-halsey/in-race-relations-the-single-gesture-and-the-single-individual-are/) [Margaret Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-halsey/) > [“I doubt if a single individual could be found from the whole of mankind free from some form of insanity. The only difference is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/i-doubt-if-a-single-individual-could-be-found-from-the-whole-of/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [Households, cities, countries, and nations have enjoyed great happiness when a single individual has taken heed of the Good and Beautiful. Such people not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philo/households-cities-countries-and-nations-have-enjoyed-great-happiness/) [Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philo/) > [No single, individual moment is in and of itself unendurable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/no-single-individual-moment-is-in-and-of-itself-unendurable/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [There is no way that the Fourth Gospel was written by John Zebedee or by any of the disciples of Jesus. The author of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/there-is-no-way-that-the-fourth-gospel-was-written-by-john-zebedee-or/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The uniqueness of the unit was more or less that it was focused on a single individual. It was really the first time the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-uniqueness-of-the-unit-was-more-or-less-that-it-was-focused-on-a/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The whole theory of the universe is directed unerringly to one single individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/the-whole-theory-of-the-universe-is-directed-unerringly-to-one-single/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [“... That no single, individual moment is in and of itself unendurable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/that-no-single-individual-moment-is-in-and-of-itself-unendurable/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [If I could press a button and have all of Sequoia Capital on the Midas List, I would choose to do that over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/if-i-could-press-a-button-and-have-all-of-sequoia-capital-on-the/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) ## More by Søren Kierkegaard > [“At vove er at miste fodfæstet et kort øjeblik - ikke at vove er at miste sig selv.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/at-vove-er-at-miste-fodf-stet-et-kort-jeblik-ikke-at-vove-er-at-miste/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Who tricked me into this whole thing and leaves me standing here? Who am I? How did I get into the world? Why was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/who-tricked-me-into-this-whole-thing-and-leaves-me-standing-here-who/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“No woman in maternity confinement can have stranger and more impatient wishes than I have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/no-woman-in-maternity-confinement-can-have-stranger-and-more/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“If a man had a little button sewn on the inner pocket of his coat 'on principle' his otherwise unimportant and quite serviceable action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/if-a-man-had-a-little-button-sewn-on-the-inner-pocket-of-his-coat-on/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“I stick my finger in existence — it smells of nothing. Where am I? Who am I? How came I here? What is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/i-stick-my-finger-in-existence-it-smells-of-nothing-where-am-i-who-am/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“A human being is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is the self? The self is a relation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/a-human-being-is-spirit-but-what-is-spirit-spirit-is-the-self-but/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“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/) > [“Intohimo ei merkitse sanoja.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/intohimo-ei-merkitse-sanoja/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“But there is a concerned guide, a knowing one, who attracts the attention of the wanderer, who calls out to him that he should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/but-there-is-a-concerned-guide-a-knowing-one-who-attracts-the/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“There is something frightful in the fact that the most dangerous thing of all, playing at Christianity, is never included in the list of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/there-is-something-frightful-in-the-fact-that-the-most-dangerous/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Yet in another and still more definite sense despair is the sickness unto death. It is indeed very far from being true that, literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-sense-despair-is-the-sickness/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Sitting calmly on a ship in fair weather is not a metaphor for having faith; but when the ship has sprung a leak, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/sitting-calmly-on-a-ship-in-fair-weather-is-not-a-metaphor-for-having/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Not merely in the realm of commerce but in the world of ideas as well our age is organizing a regular clearance sale. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/not-merely-in-the-realm-of-commerce-but-in-the-world-of-ideas-as-well/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“In love with myself, that is what people say I am. It doesn’t surprise me, for how could they notice that I can love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/in-love-with-myself-that-is-what-people-say-i-am-it-doesn-t-surprise/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Battle day and night against the guile of oblivion...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/battle-day-and-night-against-the-guile-of-oblivion/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) [Explore all 184 Søren Kierkegaard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) ## More Faith quotes > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/) Matt Morris (1 > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) [Browse all 37,796 Faith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Faith is namely this paradox that the single individual is higher than the universal”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Søren Kierkegaard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-single-individual-is-higher/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Faith" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-single-individual-is-higher/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1b/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_faith_faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-si_2713417.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1b/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_faith_faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-si_2713417.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1b/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_faith_faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-si_2713417.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Faith is namely this paradox that the single individual is higher than the universal” — Søren Kierkegaard", "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": "Søren Kierkegaard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Faith is namely this paradox that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-single-individual-is-higher/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/faith-is-namely-this-paradox-that-the-single-individual-is-higher/#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 } } ] } ```