Where non-human animals are guided solely by instinct, said Kierkegaard, human beings enjoy a freedom of choice that we find both appealing and terrifying. It is the anxiety of understanding of being free when considering undefined possibilities of one's life and the immense responsibility of having the power of choice over them.
Kierkegaard argued that non-human animals are guided solely by instinct, while humans enjoy freedom of choice which is both appealing and terrifying. This freedom arises from the awareness of our ability to make choices about our lives, but also from the anxiety of facing the undefined possibilities of those choices and the immense responsibility they entail.