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Fyodor Dostoevsky

Fyodor Dostoevsky Quotes

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Famous Fyodor Dostoevsky Quotes

“By the experience of active love. Strive to love your neighbour actively and indefatigably. In as far as you advance in love you will grow surer of the reality of God and of the immortality of your soul. If you attain to perfect self-forgetfulness in the love of your neighbour, then you will believe without doubt, and no doubt can possibly enter your soul. This has been tried. This is certain.”

IfsBelieveHas BeensSoulSelfRealityCertainGrowsPerfectDoubtLove YouStriveActiveYour SoulImmortalityNo DoubtNeighbourForgetfulnessSelf Forgetfulness
Book:The Brothers Karamazov (English Russian Edition illustrated): Братья Карамазовы (англо-русская редакция иллюстрированная)
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“It sometimes happened that you might be familiar with a man for several years thinking he was a wild animal, and you would regard him with contempt. And then suddenly a moment would arrive when some uncontrollable impulse would lay his soul bare, and you would behold in it such riches, such sensitivity and warmth, such a vivid awareness of its own suffering and the suffering of others, that the scales would fall from your eyes and at first you would hardly be able to believe what you had seen and heard. The reverse also happens.”

ThinkingMenYearsFirstsBelieveSoulSometimesMomentsMightHappensEyeAbleSufferingFallAnimalHappenedHeardAwarenessRegardLaysRichesScalesFamiliarImpulseWarmthContemptReverseSensitivityVividWild AnimalUncontrollableSuffering Of Others
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“Faith does not, in the realist, spring from the miracle but the miracle from faith. If the realist once believes, then he is bound by his very realism to admit the miraculous also.”

IfsBelieveDoeSpringMiracleBoundsRealismMiraculousRealist
Book:The Brothers Karamazov (English Russian Edition illustrated): Братья Карамазовы (англо-русская редакция иллюстрированная)
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“Gentlemen, let us suppose that man is not stupid. (Indeed one cannot refuse to suppose that, if only from the one consideration, that, if man is stupid, then who is wise?) But if he is not stupid, he is monstrously ungrateful! Phenomenally ungrateful. In fact, I believe that the best definition of man is the ungrateful biped.”

IfsMenBelieveFactsI BelieveWiseStupidDefinitionsRefuseGentlemanConsiderationUngratefulNot Stupid
Book:White Nights and Other Stories
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“Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and praise God in your loneliness.”

IfsMenBelieveEndsLeftLonelinessPraiseFaithfulOfferingPraise God
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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“[to Jesus] You did not come down from the cross when they shouted to you, mocking and reviling you: "Come down from the cross and we will believe that it is you." You did not come down because, again, you did not want to enslave man by a miracle and thirsted for faith that is free, not miraculous...I swear, man is created weaker and baser than you thought him! How, how can he ever accomplish the same things as you? ...Respecting him less, you would have demanded less of him, and that would be closer to love, for his burden would be lighter.”

MenWantBelieveWould BeJesusCrossesMiracleBurdenAccomplishSwearMiraculousLighters
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“The world says: "You have needs - satisfy them. You have as much right as the rich and the mighty. Don't hesitate to satisfy your needs; indeed, expand your needs and demand more." This is the worldly doctrine of today. And they believe that this is freedom. The result for the rich is isolation and suicide, for the poor, envy and murder.”

WorldNeedsBelieveTodayPoorResultsRichDemandMurderSuicideGreedEnvyDoctrineIsolationMaterialismWorldlyBrothers KaramazovSelfishness And Greed
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“Though I do not believe in the order of things, still the sticky little leaves that come out in the spring are dear to me, the blue sky is dear to me, some people are dear to me, whom one loves sometimes, would you believe it, without even knowing why; some human deeds are dear to me, which one has perhaps long ceased believing in, but still honors with one's heart, out of old habit..." --Ivan Karamazov”

PeopleBelieveHumansHeartLittlesLongStillsSometimesOrderKnowingSkyHabitHonorSpringBlueDearDeedsOne LoveBlue SkyStickyOld Habits
Book:The Brothers Karamazov: A Novel in Four Parts With Epilogue
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“Woe to the suicides! I believe that there can be none more miserable than they. Oh, there are some who remain proud and fierce even in hell, in spite of their certain knowledge and contemplation of the absolute truth; there are some fearful ones who have given themselves over to Satan and his proud spirit entirely. For such, hell is voluntary and ever consuming; they are tortured by their own choice. For they have cursed themselves, cursing God and life. And they will burn in the fire of their own wrath forever and yearn for death and annihilation. But they will not attain to death.”

BelieveSpiritCertainChoicesGivenI BelieveHellForeverFireProudAbsolutesSuicideMiserableSatanContemplationSpiteFearfulFierceWoeSuicidalWrathConsumingCursedAnnihilationAbsolute TruthCursingCertain KnowledgeGod And Life
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“A man who lies to himself, and believes his own lies becomes unable to recognize truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and he ends up losing respect for himself and for others. When he has no respect for anyone, he can no longer love, and, in order to divert himself, having no love in him, he yields to his impulses, indulges in the lowest forms of pleasure, and behaves in the end like an animal. And it all comes from lying - lying to others and to yourself.”

MenBelieveEndsWisdomTruthFormLyingOrderPoliticsPleasureAnimalHonorLosingImpulseBehaveYieldLowestIndulgeNo LoveIndulge InNo Respect
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
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