“Whoever, therefore, wills this [unanimous adulation] or fears this contempt…is not merely double-minded but thousand-minded, and at variance with himself. So is his life when he must grovel—in order to attain honor; when he must flatter his enemies—in order to attain honor; when he must woo the favor of those he despises—in order to attain honor; when he must betray the one whom he respects—in order to attain honor. For to attain honor means to despise oneself after one has attained the pinnacle of honor—and yet to tremble before any change.”

Excerpt From: Soren Kierkegaard. “Purity of Heart.”