--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just as a physician might say that there…" description: "\"“Just as a physician might say that there very likely is not one single living human being who is completely healthy, so anyone who really knows mankin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_anxiety_just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there_1506426.jpg" --- # Just as a physician might say that there very likely is… ![“Just as a physician might say that there very likely is not one single living human being who is completely healthy, so anyone who really knows mankind might say that there is not one single living human being who does not despair a little, who does not secretly harbor an unrest, an inner strife…” quote by Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_anxiety_just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there_1506426.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_anxiety_just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there_1506426.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_anxiety_just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there_1506426.jpg) > ““Just as a physician might say that there very likely is not one single living human being who is completely healthy, so anyone who really knows mankind might say that there is not one single living human being who does not despair a little, who does not secretly harbor an unrest, an inner strife, a disharmony, an anxiety about an unknown something or a something he does not even dare try to know, an anxiety about some possibility in existence or an anxiety about himself, so that, just as the physician speaks of going around with an illness in the body, he walks around with a sickness, carries around a sickness of the spirit that signals its presence at rare intervals in and through an anxiety he cannot explain.”” [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. Human existence is marked by inevitable anxiety and inner conflict, akin to a spiritual illness that surfaces intermittently. **In simple terms:** Everyone feels anxiety and inner turmoil at times. Key Takeaway Accept anxiety as a sign of being alive and seek meaning. Themes anxiety existence inner conflict human condition spiritual illness Mood introspective melancholic hopeful Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - personal crises - creative endeavors - decision making - relationships Key Concepts existentialism psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What does your anxiety reveal about your values? - Can you transform anxiety into motivation? A Different Perspective Anxiety may become overwhelming if not addressed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Just Physician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-physician-2050856/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-human-534978/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Physician Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physician-say-3194430/) [Physician Speaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physician-speaks-5535002/) [Sickness Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sickness-spirit-786115/) ## Related quotes > [“Just as the physician is proved by his patients, so is God also revealed through men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/just-as-the-physician-is-proved-by-his-patients-so-is-god-also/) [The Church Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-church-fathers/) > [Addiction is perhaps a sickness of the spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osamu-dazai/addiction-is-perhaps-a-sickness-of-the-spirit/) [Osamu Dazai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osamu-dazai/) > [The human being is a surprisingly resilient organism. We are impelled toward health not sickness. Your spirit, as surely as your body, will try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-nerburn/the-human-being-is-a-surprisingly-resilient-organism-we-are-impelled/) [Kent Nerburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-nerburn/) > [I'm one of the few candidates that actually goes out and talks in public, so I say a lot of things based on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-m-one-of-the-few-candidates-that-actually-goes-out-and-talks-in/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [“If I were free, as a physician, to say what I pleased, I would tell every abused person I see that there is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-kennedy/if-i-were-free-as-a-physician-to-say-what-i-pleased-i-would-tell/) [C. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-kennedy/) > [Never must the physician say, the disease is incurable. By that admission he denies God, our Creator; he doubts Nature with her profuseness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-fishbein/never-must-the-physician-say-the-disease-is-incurable-by-that/) [Morris Fishbein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-fishbein/) > [“Are you having fun playing with those plastic 3-D models of ears, noses and throats? 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Knowing that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-no-right-answer-for-living-as-a-human-but-become-human-being/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I could scream down 90 mountains to less than dust if only one living human had eyes in the head and heart in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-could-scream-down-90-mountains-to-less-than-dust-if-only-one-living/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-arts-are-not-a-way-to-make-a-living-they-are-a-very-human-way-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Living as I do with human beings, the more that I observe them, the more I am forced to conclude that they are selfish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsume-s-seki/living-as-i-do-with-human-beings-the-more-that-i-observe-them-the/) [Natsume Sōseki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsume-s-seki/) > [The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-unexamined-life-is-not-worth-living-for-a-human-being/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) ## 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 Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) [Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/) > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/) [Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/) > [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Just as a physician might say that there very likely is not one single living human being who is completely healthy, so anyone who really knows mankind might say that there is not one single living human being who does not despair a little, who does not secretly harbor an unrest, an inner strife, a disharmony, an anxiety about an unknown something or a something he does not even dare try to know, an anxiety about some possibility in existence or an anxiety about himself, so that, just as the physician speaks of going around with an illness in the body, he walks around with a sickness, carries around a sickness of the spirit that signals its presence at rare intervals in and through an anxiety he cannot explain.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Søren Kierkegaard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there-very-likely-is-not-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there-very-likely-is-not-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_anxiety_just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there_1506426.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_anxiety_just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there_1506426.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_anxiety_just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there_1506426.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Just as a physician might say that there very likely is not one single living human being who is completely…” — 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": "“Just as a physician might say...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there-very-likely-is-not-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/just-as-a-physician-might-say-that-there-very-likely-is-not-one/#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 } } ] } ```