Page:Selections from the writings of Kierkegaard.djvu/148

 resignation does not follow their advice, he does not sur- render his love, not for all the riches in the world. He is no fool, he first makes sure that this love really is the con- tents of his life, for his soul is too sound and too proud to waste itself on a mere intoxication. He is no coward, he is not afraid to let his love insinuate itself into his most secret and most remote thoughts, to let it wind itself in innumer- able coils about every fiber of his consciousness â€” if he is disappointed in his love he will never be able to extricate himself again. He feels a delicious pleasure in letting love thrill his every nerve, and yet his soul is solemn as is that of him who has drained a cup of poison and who now feels the virus mingle with every drop of his blood, poised in that moment between life and death.

Having thus imbibed love, and being wholly absorbed in it, he does not lack the courage to try and dare all. He surveys the whole situation, he calls together his swift thoughts which like tame pigeons obey his every beck, he gives the signal, and they dart in all directions. But whien they return, every one bearing a message of sorrow, and explain to him that it is impossible, then he becomes silent, he dismisses them, he remains alone ; and then he makes the movement. Now if what I say here is to have any signifi- cance, it is of prime importance that the movement be made in a normal fashion. The knight of resignation is supposed to have sufl^icient energy to concentrate the entire contents of his life and the realization of existing conditions into one single wish. But if one lacks this concentration, this devotion to a single thought ; if his soul from the very be- ginning is scattered on a number of objects, he will never be able to make the movement â€” he will be as worldly-wise in the conduct of his life as the financier who invests his cap- ital in a number of securities to win on the one if he should lose on the other ; that is, he is no knight. Furthermore, the knight is supposed to possess sufficient energy to concen- trate all his thought into a single act of consciousness. If he lacks this concentration he will only run errands in life and will never be able to assume the attitude of infinite resignation; for the very minute he approaches it he will