The Sickness unto Death - Essay Example

Kierkegaard states that human beings who are immensely involved with spiritual beliefs are the most affected by despair, hence they are held responsible for pain and sufferings attained due to despair, as it is something faced internally by individuals. Despair brings about frustration and pain making it tough to be overcome. Providing a simple example of a girl who lost her lover Kierkegaard states that she has to overcome the old lead her life on her own similarly Christians need to understand that physical death is un-a unavoidable rather overcome their despair with

mere belief in Christ who can lead their path to eternity.

The universality of Sickness (Despair)

            Kierkegaard relates Christianity and despair to state, that despair is universal. People say that they are not in despair but they are unaware of being in despair except for a true Christian. Any personal illness can be cured by prescribing certain medication but despair can only be overcome by mere belief in “God”, the only way to reduce the psychological problems and gain eternity. 

The Forms of this Sickness (Despair)

            The human self is composed of various components like finite and infiniteness, possibility/necessity, consciousness/lack of consciousness relating itself to itself. The willingness to become itself and overcome despair can only be possible by becoming concrete that is by establishing a relationship between these elements. Kierkegaard explains the forms that strike the imbalance of self-components:

(A) Despair Regardless of Consciousness:

            Despair is based on the elements of Finitude/ Infinitude and Possibility/ Necessity: Despair is due to infinitude, which is when an individual focuses on fantasies and forgets his own. Despair due to finitude, which is to just exist as any other person in the society. Life may seem to be comfortable lacking fantasies but he loses his of involving himself in the heliolaters. The possibilities for people to become something which might never reach a point where he has become something rather than being oneself. Problems or concerns of people might make everything seem necessary and leave the mere thought of a possibility.

(B) Despair Viewed Under Consciousness:

(a)  Despair which is unconscious: The most common form of despair is ignorant despair which means unknown of being in despair. People who possess this despair tend to defend themselves when we let them understand their despair. Non-Christians and those unaware or unconcerned of spiritual matters are mostly affected by this despair. (b) Conscious Desharious: It is the despair that a person is aware of and is in two forms: (I) weakness (II) Defiance. It differs by the aspect of awareness by people that they are in despair and understanding the real meaning of despair. Despair in weakness is influenced mainly by the events or situations occurred that d in their lives which make them feel they are no themself, while some people thought have the knowledge about the spiritual matters but resist to pursue making them unwilling to be their self-finance, he despairs of individuals icing to be destined on their own. This form of despair is a demoniac which despairingly wills to be itself.