In Either/Or (1843), Kierkegaard offers a stage theory of what he calls personal freedom. Most people reside in the aesthetic stage. At this stage, people seek out many forms of pleasure and excitement. Like a moth to the flame, they do not recognize their ability to choose among the enticements that draw their attention. People operating at this level are hedonistic, and such an existence ultimately leads to boredom and despair. Next is the ethical stage. People operating at this level accept the responsi- bility of making choices but use as their guide eth- ical principles established by others—for example, moral conventions (say, against drinking and danc- ing) or church dogma. Although Kierkegaard con- sidered the ethical level higher than the aesthetic level, people operating on the ethical level