Kierkegaard on "ethical stupidity"

Kierkegaard wreaks havoc in his rage against conventionality. Before the quote below, he describes a conventional form of despair, he draws a picture of a man of honor, who is successful in his profession, happily married, but who is also afflicted by something that resembles despair, or consciousness. But he opts for the form of despair that is becoming to a man of his position: he has turned to the priest - more than once! - for inquiries about immortality: is there such a thing? Would one recognize oneself in eternity? For a man that has no self, this is an all-important question. When a hint of despair is present for this man, he makes sure to transform it into something he can handle, something manageable. He rejoices in the company of men of the world, men who are on good terms with the good things in life. Despair, after all, is such a silly thing.

Det er umuligt, sandt at fremstille denne Art Fortvivelse uden en vis Tilsætning af det Satiriske. Det Comiske er, at han vil tale om, at have været fortvivlet; det Forfærdelige er, at hans Tilstand efter at have, som han mener det, overvundet Fortvivelsen, just er Fortvivelse. Det er uendlig comisk, at der til Grund för den i Verden saa meget prisede Livs-Klogskab, at der til Grund for alt det Satans Meget af gode Raad og kloge Vendinger, og Seen-Tiden-an, og Tagen sig i sin Skjebne og Skriven i Glemmebogen, ideelt forstaaet ligger en fuldkommen Dumhed paa, hvor Faren egentligen er, hvilken Faren egentligen er. Men denne ethiske Dumhed er igjen det Forfærdelige (Samlede Værker 15: Sygedommen til Døden (København: Gyldendal, 1963), p. 112).