Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish theologian, poet, social critic, and author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on morality, ethics, and psychology, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony, and parables. Much of his philosophical work deals with the issues of how one lives as a "single individual", giving priority to concrete human reality over abstract thinking and highlighting the importance of personal choice and commitment.