An emperor over an empire and a household tyrant in a tiny attic room are the same in essence. Both refuse to step outside themselves, and both want to crush the other person's uniqueness or squeeze the life out of them.
Kierkegaard's example (note 17) is the Roman emperor Domitian. According to the historian Suetonius, he got bored and spent hours stabbing flies with a pen. Whether ruling the world or tormenting insects, he was the same man.
Kierkegaard's example (note 17) is the Roman emperor Domitian. According to the historian Suetonius, he got bored and spent hours stabbing flies with a pen. Whether ruling the world or tormenting insects, he was the same man.