Soren Kierkegaard

with everyone” to take his companion by the arm, lending the walk an
intimacy that was noted by many of his contemporaries and that unques-
tionablyhelpstodispeltheimageofKierkegaardheldbylatergenerations,
according to which he was a perennially introverted person, terrified of
physicalcontact.
TheintimacythatKierkegaard’sarminvitedwasinterpretedbyothersas
a mere tactical ploy. Thus Birkedal wrote that he sensed that Kierkegaard
“onlywantedtopumpmeandexperimentwithmepsychologically.”This
suspicionwasnotallayedwhenBirkedalheardwhathadhappenedtoaman
whohadstoodattherailingnexttothecustomshouse,staringdownatthe
water.Kierkegaardalsostoodthere,edgingcloserandcloser,surmisingthat
the man was of a mind to jump into the water and take his life. “The
experimenting psychologist wanted to read the man’s face in order to see
howtheideaofsuicideexpresseditselfthere—toseehowapersonlooked
atsuchadecisivemoment.Noticingthis,thestranger,whohadnevercon-
templateddoinganythingofthesort,grewtiredofbeingtheobjectofthat
investigativegazeandsuddenlyturnedandasked:‘Mr.Magister!Whatdid
youmeanwhenyouwrotethatit’sablessingtohavecorns?’‘I’lltellyou,’
answeredKierkegaard,whilehetookthemanbythearmandwalkedwith
him through the streets of the city, lecturing and gesticulating.” And the
businessaboutthecornsdidneedsomeexplaining:Inoneofthe“Diapsal-
mata” included inEither/Or, Kierkegaard had written, “To be a perfectly
complete human being is indeed the highest thing. Now I have acquired
corns, and that is always something”—thereby proclaiming, in rather silly
fashion, that viewed logically, the concept of “completeness” implied that
onemusthaveeverything,includingcornsonone’sfeet.
HansBrøchneralsowalkedfrequentlyarminarmwithKierkegaardand
couldreportabouthowthevigilantCopenhagenercarriedouthispsycho-
logical studies: “His smile and his look were indescribably expressive. He
hadhisownwayofgivingagreetingatadistancewithjustaglance.Itwas
only a small movement of the eye, and yet it expressed so much. There
could be something infinitely gentle and loving in his eye, but also some-
thingstimulatingandexasperating.Withjustaglanceatapasserbyhecould
irresistibly‘establisharapport’withhim,asheexpressedit.Thepersonwho
received the look became attracted or repelled, embarrassed, uncertain, or
exasperated.Ihavewalkedthewholelengthofastreetwithhimwhilehe
explainedhowitwaspossibletocarryoutpsychologicalstudiesbyestablish-
ingsuchrapportwithpassersby.Andwhileheexpandedonthetheoryhe
realizeditinpracticewithnearlyeveryonewemet.Therewasnooneupon
whomhisgazedidnotmakeavisibleimpression.Onthesameoccasionhe
surprised me with the ease with which he struck up conversations with