Fyodor Dostoyevsky quotes - page 5

Fyodor Dostoyevsky was a Russian novelist and philosopher, renowned for his profound psychological insight and exploration of the human soul. His major works, such as "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov," have had a lasting impact on world literature. He remains one of the most influential writers in literary history. Here are 209 of his quotes:

Do you know that ages will pass and mankind will proclaim in its wisdom and science that there is no crime and, therefore no sin, but that there are only hungry people. "Feed them first and then demand virtue of them!" - that is what they will inscribe on their banner which they will raise against you and which will destroy your temple.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

It was not only that I could not become spiteful, I did not know how to become anything; neither spiteful nor kind, neither a rascal nor an honest man, neither a hero nor an insect. Now, I am living out my life in my corner, taunting myself with the spiteful and useless consolation that an intelligent man cannot become anything seriously, and it is only the fool who becomes anything.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Why count the days, when even one days is enough for a man to know all happiness?

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

In dreams you sometimes fall from a height, or are stabbed, or beaten, but you never feel pain unless, perhaps, you really bruise yourself against the bedstead, then you feel pain and almost always wake up from it. It was the same in my dream. I did not feel any pain, but it seemed as though with my shot everything within me was shaken and everything was suddenly dimmed, and it grew horribly black around me. I seemed to be blinded, and it benumbed, and I was lying on something hard, stretched on my back; I saw nothing, and could not make the slightest movement.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

But,' I [Dmitri Karamazov] asked, 'how will man be after that? Without God and the future life? It means everything is permitted now, one can do anything?' 'Didn't you know?' he said. And he laughed. 'Everything is permitted to the intelligent man,' he said.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Do a man dirt, yourself you hurt.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Who consciously throws himself into the water or onto the knife?

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Yes - you, you alone must pay for everything because you turned up like this, because I'm a scoundrel, because I'm the nastiest, most ridiculous, pettiest, stupidest, and most envious worm of all those living on earth who're no better than me in any way, but who, the devil knows why, never get embarrassed, while all my life I have to endure insults from every louse - that's my fate. What do I care that you do not understand any of this?

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Once it's been proved to you that you're descended from an ape, it's no use pulling a face; just accept it. Once they've proved to you that a single droplet of your own fat must be dearer to you than a hundred thousand of your fellow human beings and consequently that all so-called virtues and duties are nothing but ravings and prejudices, then accept that too, because there's nothing to be done.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

And what is it in us that is mellowed by civilization? All it does, I'd say, is to develop in man a capacity to feel a greater variety of sensations. And nothing, absolutely nothing else. And through this development, man will yet learn how to enjoy bloodshed. Why, it has already happened.... Civilization has made man, if not always more bloodthirsty, at least more viciously, more horribly bloodthirsty.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

First of all, this prince is an idiot, and, secondly, he is a fool--knows nothing of the world, and has no place in it.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I have never in my life met a man like him for noble simplicity, and boundless truthfulness. I understood from the way he talked that anyone who chose could deceive him, and that he would forgive anyone afterwards who had deceived him, and that was why I grew to love him.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Money is coined liberty, and so it is ten times dearer to the man who is deprived of freedom. If money is jingling in his pocket, he is half consoled, even though he cannot spend it. But money can always and everywhere be spent, and, moreover, forbidden fruit is sweetest of all.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he's in prison.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Be the sun and all will see you.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Power is given only to those who dare to lower themselves and pick it up. Only one thing matters, one thing; to be able to dare!

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Above all, don't lie to yourself.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

They tease me now, telling me it was only a dream. But does it matter whether it was a dream or reality, if the dream made known to me the truth?

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky