Most people rush after pleasure so fast that they rush right past it.

Often considered the father of existentialism, Søren Kierkegaard was born in 1813 in Copenhagen, Denmark, shortly after the country fell to the British in the Napoleonic Wars. He grew up in a time of great change, studying literature and philosophy among artists and thinkers from Berlin, Dresden, and Rome. It was the Danish Golden Age, and Kierkegaard wrote prolifically on ideas such as authenticity, commitment, and responsibility. In his book “Either/Or,” he writes about the human tendency to flee from boredom and lose oneself in seeking sensual pleasures. With this quote, he cautions the reader to slow down, lest they miss the delightful details of life altogether.