In my study titled The Cruelty of Poetic Existence, I interpret poetic existence defined by Søren Kierkegaard through the lens of the writings and practice of Antonin Artaud concerning cruelty. The key importance of contradiction or paradox is evident in the works of both thinkers. My first question in the study concerns why paradox becomes indispensable for Kierkegaard and Artaud. Furthermore, what might be the significance of paradox for each of them? It is not a matter of coincidence, either, that the source of dedication towards contradictions is Heraclitus for both authors. I will focus on contradictions, the consequent indirect communication, and the concepts of motion and change – from the perspective of the inner world, and not that of the external.