I wanted to write to you - Eugenio Ruberto

Read and listen to the intense poem “volevo scriverti” (I wanted to write to you) by Søren Kierkegaard

Intriguing Facts

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a Danish philosopher, theologian, and writer, known as the father of existentialism. His reflection focused on concepts such as existence, freedom, responsibility, despair, and anguish¹²³.

Born in Copenhagen, Kierkegaard was the youngest of seven children. His education was deeply religious, with a Protestant father who instilled the values of faith in him. Throughout his life, Kierkegaard wrestled with a painful sense of guilt, which became the basis for his philosophical reflections on the themes of anguish, despair, and faith.

A significant event marked his existence: in 1837 he met a young woman named Regine Olsen and fell in love with her. After three years of courtship, he managed to become engaged to her, but this relationship generated tremendous restlessness within him. Kierkegaard, in fact, considered **possibility** as the fundamental human existential category. The infinite possibilities facing man, while being a positive element, paralyzed him, preventing him from choosing and constantly leaving him at a “zero point” of indecision¹.

Kierkegaard developed a dialectic of opposites, reflected in the **three existential stages**: the aesthetic stage, the ethical stage, and the religious stage. Each one represents different ways of life, with unique and distinct characteristics¹. His work continues to influence contemporary philosophy and theology.

(1) Søren Kierkegaard – Wikipedia. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard.
(2) Søren Kierkegaard: quién fue y sus aportes a la filosofía. https://humanidades.com/soren-kierkegaard/.
(3) Søren Kierkegaard | Quién fue, biografía, pensamiento, teorias …. https://www.euston96.com/soren-kierkegaard/.
(4) Søren Kierkegaard – Wikiwand. https://www.wikiwand.com/it/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard.
(5) Søren Kierkegaard – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard.

Let’s read together

I wanted to write to you, not to know how you are,
but to know how it is to be without me.

I’d like to know what it feels like
not to have me worrying about whether everything is okay,
not to hear me laugh, not to hear me hum stupid songs,
not to hear me talk, not to have me to vent to about things that are wrong,
not to have me ready there to do anything to make you feel good.

Maybe it’s better, or maybe not.

But the doubt came to me
and I’d also like to know if this doubt ever came to you too.

Because, you know, sometimes I ask myself how it is to be without you,
but then I prefer not to answer.

I have even forgotten myself in order to remember you.