It is the thought, not the incidentals of expression, that essentially makes an exposition unpopular. A systematic ribbon and button maker can become unpopular but essentially is not at all, inasmuch as he does not mean much by the very odd things he says (alas, and this is a popular art! ). Socrates, on the other hand, was the most unpopular in Greece because he said the same thing as the simplest person but meant infinitely much by it. To be able to stick to one thing, to stick to it with ethical passion and undauntedness of spirit, to see the intrinsic duplexity of this one thought with the same impartiality, and at one and the same time to see the most profound earnestness and the greatest jest, the deepest tragedy and highest comedy―this is unpopular in any age for anyone who has not realized that immediacy is over. But neither can what is essentially unpopular be learned by rote. More on that later. Unknown
About This Quote

There is a difference between being unpopular and being unpopular. This quote by Søren Kierkegaard is one of the best ways to explain the difference. In his day, Søren Kierkegaard was considered an immoral philosopher, a philosopher who did not care about a person’s reputation. However, his philosophies were actually very popular among a small group of individuals.

The reason why he was unpopular with the majority of people was because he did not offer any easy answers. Rather, he offered deeper explanations that made people think deeply about their lives and themselves as well as their place in society. His philosophy was unpopular because it challenged the common ideas of what was popular and what was not popular.

He also had a very unique way of expressing himself. His views were radical and unconventional and some found those ideas hard to understand and accept at first glance.

Source: Stages On Lifes Way

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