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Fyodor Dostoevsky

Fyodor Dostoevsky Quotes

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Famous Fyodor Dostoevsky Quotes

“The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him.”

MenLyingHe ManRespectHuman ExperienceSelf DeceptionLove And RespectTruth And LiesNo RespectDon't LieRespect WomenLove RespectLies TruthRespect PeopleBrothers KaramazovTrust And RespectI Don't LieSelf Respect In LoveLying To YourselfSelf Respect And LoveWomen Self Respect
Book:The Greatest Works of Dostoevsky: Crime and Punishment + The Brother's Karamazov + The Idiot + Notes from Underground + The Gambler + Demons (The Possessed / The Devils)
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“It seemed clear to me that life and the world somehow depended upon me now. I may almost say that the world now seemed created for me alone: if I shot myself the world would cease to be at least for me. I say nothing of its being likely that nothing will exist for anyone when I am gone, and that as soon as my consciousness is extinguished the whole world will vanish too and become void like a phantom , as a mere appurtenance of my consciousness, for possibly all this world and all these people are only me myself.”

PeopleIfsWorldMayWholeConsciousnessGoneClearThis WorldShotsMereCeaseWhole WorldVoidMe AlonePhantoms
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“I suddenly dreamt that I picked up the revolver and aimed it straight at my heart my heart, and not my head; and I had determined beforehand to fire at my head, at my right temple. After aiming at my chest I waited a second or two, and suddenly my candle , my table, and the wall in front of me began moving and heaving. I made haste to pull the trigger.”

HeartMadeTwoMovingFireFrontsWallMy HeartTablesDeterminedTemplesChestsCandleTriggersHasteRevolver
Book:Short stories
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“There is no sin , and there can be no sin on all the earth , which the Lord will not forgive to the truly repentant! Man cannot commit a sin so great as to exhaust the infinite love of God . Can there be a sin which could exceed the love of God?”

MenEarthSinLordInfiniteForgivingCommitGod LoveExceedInfinite LoveBrothers Karamazov
Book:The Brothers Karamazov (English Russian Edition illustrated): Братья Карамазовы (англо-русская редакция иллюстрированная)
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“Occasionally I was so much better that I could go out; but the streets used to put me in such a rage that I would lock myself up for days rather than go out, even if I were well enough to do so! I could not bear to see all those preoccupied, anxious-looking creatures continuously surging along the streets past me! Why are they always anxious? What is the meaning of their eternal care and worry? It is their wickedness, their perpetual detestable malice-that's what it is-they are all full of malice, malice!”

IfsWellsEnoughCarePastUsedWorryStreetsBearsCreaturesEternalRageAnxiousPerpetualLocksWickednessMaliceWhat Is The Meaning
Book:The Idiot: Easyread Large Edition
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“I must have justice, or I will destroy myself. And not justice in some remote and infinite time and space, but here on Earth...I want to see with my own eyes the lamb lie down with the lion and the victim rise up and embrace his murderer. I want to be there when everyone suddenly understands what it has all been about. All the religions of the world are built on this longing, and I am a believer.”

WorldWantEyeEarthLyingJusticeMy OwnSpaceBuiltInfiniteVictimEmbraceLongingBelieverLionsMurdererTime And SpaceLambsInfinite Time
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“Shower on him every blessing, drown him in a sea of happiness, give him economic prosperity such that he should have nothing else to do but sleep, eat cakes, and busy himself with the continuation of the species, and even then, out of sheer ingratitude, sheer spite, man would play you some nasty trick.”

MenGivingShouldPlaySleepSeaEconomicBlessingShould HaveSpeciesBusyProsperityTricksSpiteCakeSheerNastyShowersDishonestyContinuationIngratitudeEconomic Prosperity
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“All people seem to be divided into'ordinary'and 'extraordinary'. The ordinary people must lead a life of strict obedience and have no right to transgress the law because?theyare ordinary.Whereas the extraordinary people have the right to commit any crime they like and transgress the law in any way just because they happen to be extraordinary.”

PeopleWaySeemsHappensLawCrimeOrdinaryExtraordinaryCommitObedienceDividedStrictOrdinary PeopleOrdinary And ExtraordinaryOrdinary Extraordinary
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“By interpreting freedom as the propagation and immediate gratification of needs, people distort their own nature, for they engender in themselves a multitude of pointless and foolish desires, habits, and incongruous stratagems. Their lives are motivated only by mutual envy, sensuality, and ostentation.”

PeopleNeedsDesireNatureFreedomHabitEnvyFoolishSensualityMutualMotivatedMultitudesGratificationPointlessInterpretingStratagemPropagationOstentationImmediate Gratification
Book:The Karamazov Brothers
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“Coming at twenty to his father's house, which was a very sink of filthy debauchery, he, chaste and pure as he was, simply withdrew in silence when to look on was unbearable, but without the slightest sign of contempt or condemnation. His father, who had once been in a dependent position, and so was sensitive and ready to take offense, met him at first with distrust and sullenness.”

FirstsLooksFatherHouseSilencePositionReadyMetsPureTwentiesSensitiveDependentContemptOffenseDistrustUnbearableCondemnationFilthyChasteDebauchery
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“What can become of him if he is in such bondage to the habit of satisfying the innumerable desires he has created for himself? He is isolated, and what concern has he with the rest of humanity? They have succeeded in accumulating a greater mass of objects, but the joy in the world has grown less.”

IfsWorldJoyDesireHumanityGreaterObjectsHabitMassConcernSatisfyingIsolatedConsumerismBondageOverconsumption
Book:The Brothers Karamazov (English Russian Edition illustrated): Братья Карамазовы (англо-русская редакция иллюстрированная)
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“The world has proclaimed the reign of freedom, especially of late, but what do we see in this freedom of theirs? Nothing but slavery and self-destruction! For the world says: "You have desires and so satisfy them, for you have the same rights as the most rich and powerful. Don't be afraid of satisfying them and even multiply your desires."”

WorldSelfDesirePowerfulRichRightsLateDestructionSlaverySatisfyingConsumerismReignSelf DestructionOverconsumption
Book:GREAT BOOKS OF THE WESTERN WORLD
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“One's own free unfettered choice, one's own caprice-however wild it may be, one's own fancy worked up at times to frenzy-is that very "most advantageous advantage" which we have overlooked, which comes under no classification and against which all systems and theories are continually being shattered to atoms... [an]will attain his object-that is, convince himself he is a man and not a piano-key!”

MenMayChoicesObjectsTheoryKeysAdvantagePianoFancyConvinceAtomsShatteredOverlookedFrenzyClassificationCapricePiano KeysNotes From The Underground
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“As soon as any one is near me, his personality disturbs my self-complacency and restricts my freedom. In twenty-four hours I begin to hate the best of men: one because he's too long over his dinner; another because he has a cold and keeps on blowing his nose. I become hostile to people the moment they come close to me. But it has always happened that the more I detest men individually the more ardent becomes my love for humanity.”

PeopleMenLongSelfMomentsHateHumanityHoursFourHappenedColdPersonalityTwentiesDinnerNosesHostileComplacencyArdentDetestBest Of MeLove For Humanity
Book:The Greatest Works of Dostoevsky: Crime and Punishment + The Brother's Karamazov + The Idiot + Notes from Underground + The Gambler + Demons (The Possessed / The Devils)
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