Repetition- What Is It Exactly?

For Kierkegaard, repetition is an individual’s ability to continuously be happy with life as it is in the moment, and thus is the only true way to be happy. In fact, Kierkegaard warns that always looking for something new guarantees that you will be unhappy, and that it is the worst thing to have in a husband. At first, I was offended by this. After all, I want a lot of new experiences, and I don’t think that it’s wrong for me to yearn for that. I also think that a sense of adventure is an admirable quality in a significant other, because I want someone who will want to keep up with me. Still, the more I thought about it, the more this made sense. While it’s okay to want something new, it’s a different thing to need it. I would love to travel all over the world, and I hope to do that one day, but I’m not unhappy in the life I have here and now. 
I think the key difference is having the ABILITY to be happy without always having something new. Kierkegaard, I have to admit, also made a good point about not looking for a man who always needs something new, since one day he might want a new significant other too. In short, I think repetition is about being happy with what you have once you have a fair amount. Though, I also think that the caveat is central. Unlike people who say that you choose to be happy, I believe Kierkegaard believed people would still need a decent life. However, once you had a basic standard of living, repetition is being able to rejoice in that every day.