Fyodor Dostoyevsky quotes

I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love.

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

— Spoken by a character · IV. A Lady Of Little Faith

Why, the whole world of knowledge is not worth that child’s prayer to ‘dear, kind God’!

— Spoken by a character · IV. Rebellion

‘without God and immortal life? All things are lawful then, they can do what they like?’

— Spoken by a character · IV. A Hymn And A Secret

And so I hasten to give back my entrance ticket, and if I am an honest man I am bound to give it back as soon as possible.

— Spoken by a character · IV. Rebellion

It’s not God that I don’t accept, Alyosha, only I most respectfully return Him the ticket.

— Spoken by a character · IV. Rebellion

I have a longing for life, and I go on living in spite of logic.

— Ivan · III. The Brothers Make Friends

The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there and the battlefield is the heart of man.

If they drive God from the earth, we shall shelter Him underground.

— Spoken by a character · IV. A Hymn And A Secret

No, not about Diderot. Above all, don’t lie to yourself. 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, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others.

— Spoken by a character · II. The Old Buffoon

‘beauty would save the world’?

— Spoken by a character · III. I

It is better to be unhappy and know the worst, than to be happy in a fool’s paradise!

— Spoken by a character · IV. I

A fool with a heart and no brains is just as unhappy as a fool with brains and no heart. I am one and you are the other, and therefore both of us suffer, both of us are unhappy.

— Spoken by a character · I. I

We must never forget that human motives are generally far more complicated than we are apt to suppose, and that we can very rarely accurately describe the motives of another.

Compassion is the chief law of human existence.

I want to speak to at least one person, as I would to myself.

— Spoken by a character · III. I

One can tell a child everything, anything.

— Spoken by a character · I. I

There is something besides all this, something which the arguments of the atheists can never touch.

— Spoken by a character · II. I

Only God knows what may be hidden in the hearts of drunkards.’

— Spoken by a character · II. I

You are innocent—and in your innocence lies all your perfection—oh, remember that!

— Spoken by a character · III. I

"He who teaches that all are good will end the world."

— Spoken by a character · I. NIGHT