Saturday, May 19, 2007

The Old Melancholy Dane


That's what they called Soren Kierkegaard. I don't think I appreciated K. as much as I should have when I read him in seminary school. But as I get older, melancholy is growing on me. So are hats.
Here's something K. observed about freedom:
People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have. For example, the freedom of thought. Instead, they demand freedom of speech as compensation.
I'm guilty of that, certainly: Speaking freely before thinking deeply. But usually, eventually, I do think. And I'm profoundly curious about what other people are thinking. It's always a little heartbreaking to discover that someone I care about isn't thinking at all.