Kierkegaard and Discussion on Journey

Catherine Porter

In class, we have discussed aspects of journey. However, we have also discussed the tourist mindset, in which people travel and spend their time trying to see many things, yet remain un-immersed in the culture and life surrounding them. This idea is further supported by Kierkegaard, as he notes that “people commonly travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; they fall into an animal stupor that gapes at existence and they think they have seen something”. While this statement is harsh, referring to humans as animals who stupor while gaping at the existence of new things, it also presents some of the truths we have discussed. The river and the mountains, the stars, and unusual fish can be merely looked at by tourists. However, there is so much that is missed out upon by remaining a spectator.