what do you think of this quote?

Question

purity of heart is to will one thing.
-Soren Kierkegaard

i thought it was interesting and wondered if it was true in all cases.It's difficult to take a quote like this out of context. Because Kierkegaard probablly said it in the midst of some other ramble. But simply as a statement in itself I wonder if that is an adequate definition of purity.

Answer 1

I think its really interesting. Could you explain it a little bit in additional information?

Was Hitler pure of heart because he willed one thing- the annihilation of the Jewish people??

Answer 2

Kierkegaard was a crazy-man whose own brand of Christian religiosity is kind of disturbing. He's a great philosopher, but honestly, those existentialists were pretty insane. The quote itself is kind of interesting though.

Answer 3

I think that he is saying simply that the simple life is the pure life. Adequate in all cases, probablly not because simple people can be corrupt.

Answer 4

Your take on it is interesting, but I don't like the quote. It could be good. But based on this definition, a bigot is pure of heart because he wants one thing: the extermination of [any minority.]

I like to think pureness of heart implies kindness and goodness, like a loyal dog or loyal friend that will love you and apologize even if you're in a bad mood and yell at them/treat them poorly.

Stay pure, my friend!

Answer 5

I don't particularly like that quote. I think that it is describing devotion or saturation, not purity in the modern, religious sense. But, to each his own.

Answer 6

i see it as describing the method of creation and manifestation-

to will one thing- to be pure of heart~ meaning to have faith in its truth, then it will be

one-pointedness as described by the buddhist tradition

or kinda a catch 22- to be pure of heart you have to will one thing, and to will one thing you have to be pure of heart - absolute certainty

*peace

Answer 7

very interesting that is what i think.