Calculating selfishness is the annihilation of self. Anton Chekhov More Quotes by Anton Chekhov More Quotes From Anton Chekhov The unhappy are egoistic, spiteful, unjust, cruel, and less capable of understanding each other than fools. Unhappiness does not bring people together but draws them apart, and even where one would fancy people should be united by the similarity of their sorrow, far more injustice and cruelty is generated than in comparatively placid surroundings. Anton Chekhov understanding sorrow people I don’t understand anything about the ballet; all I know is that during the intervals the ballerinas stink like horses. Anton Chekhov ballerina horse ballet Not one of our mortal gauges is suitable for evaluating non-existence, for making judgments about that which is not a person. Anton Chekhov gauges afterlife soul Try to be original in your play and as clever as possible; but don't be afraid to show yourself foolish; we must have freedom of thinking, and only he is an emancipated thinker who is not afraid to write foolish things. Anton Chekhov clever writing thinking My mother and father are the only people on the whole planet for whom I will never begrudge a thing. Should I achieve great things, it is the work of their hands; they are splendid people and their absolute love of their children places them above the highest praise. It cloaks all of their shortcomings, shortcomings that may have resulted from a difficult life. Anton Chekhov mother father children There should be more sincerity and heart in human relations, more silence and simplicity in our interactions. Be rude when you're angry, laugh when something is funny, and answer when you're asked. Anton Chekhov heart integrity laughing If an intelligent, educated, and healthy man begins to complain of his lot and go down-hill, there is nothing for him to do but to go on down until he reaches the bottom--there is no hope for him. Where could my salvation come from? How can I save myself? I cannot drink, because it makes my head ache. I never could write bad poetry. I cannot pray for strength and see anything lofty in the languor of my soul. Laziness is laziness and weakness weakness. I can find no other names for them. I am lost, I am lost; there is no doubt of that. Anton Chekhov intelligent writing men If our life has a meaning, an aim, it has nothing to do with our personal happiness, but something wiser and greater. Anton Chekhov wiser aim purpose This life of ours...human life is like a flower gloriously blooming in a meadow: along comes a goat, eats it up---no more flower. Anton Chekhov blooming life-is-like flower There is nothing new in art except talent. Anton Chekhov genius literature art Be sure not to discuss your hero's state of mind. Make it clear from his actions. Anton Chekhov hero mind action In nature a repulsive caterpillar turns into a lovely butterfly. But with human beings it is the other way round: a lovely butterfly turns into a repulsive caterpillar. Anton Chekhov lovely butterfly nature What truth? You see where truth is, and where untruth is, but I seem to have lost my sight and see nothing. You boldly settle all important questions, but tell me, dear, isn't it because you're young, because you haven't had time to suffer till you settled a single one of your questions? You boldly look forward, isn't it because you cannot foresee or expect anything terrible, because so far life has been hidden from your young eyes? You are bolder, more honest, deeper than we are, but think only, be just a little magnanimous, and have mercy on me. Anton Chekhov eye sight thinking He is an emancipated thinker who is not afraid to write foolish things. Anton Chekhov not-afraid foolish writing An enormously vast field lies between "God exists" and "there is no God." The truly wise man traverses it with great difficulty. A Russian knows one or the other of these two extremes, but is not interested in the middle ground. He usually knows nothing, or very little. Anton Chekhov wise men lying Exquisite nature, daydreams, and music say one thing, real life another. Anton Chekhov exquisite daydreaming real All saints have past and all sinners have a future. Anton Chekhov saint wisdom past Everyone has the same God; only people differ. Anton Chekhov faith god people [In] death at least there would be one profit; it would no longer be necessary to eat, to drink, to pay taxes, or to [offend] others; and as a man lies in his grave not one year, but hundreds and thousands of years, the profit was enormous. The life of man was, in short, a loss, and only his death a profit. Anton Chekhov loss death lying The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them. Anton Chekhov roles answers art
