If God does not exist, then everything is permissible. Fyodor Dostoevsky More Quotes by Fyodor Dostoevsky More Quotes From Fyodor Dostoevsky Sarcasm: the last refuge of modest and chaste-souled people when the privacy of their soul is coarsely and intrusively invaded. Fyodor Dostoevsky sarcasmsarcasticpeople But it is possible, it is possible: the old grief, by a great mystery of human life, gradually passes into quiet, tender joy; instead of young, ebullient blood comes a mild, serene old age: I bless the sun's rising each day and my heart sings to it as before, but now I love its setting even more, its long slanting rays, and with them quiet, mild, tender memories, dear images from the whole of a long and blessed life--and over all is God's truth, moving, reconciling, all-forgiving! Fyodor Dostoevsky blessedmemoriesmoving Then Christ will say to us, 'Come you also! Come you drunkards! Come you weaklings! Come you depraved!' And he will say to us, 'Vile creatures, you in the image of the beast and you who bear his mark. All the same, you come too!' And the wise and prudent will say, 'Lord, why are you welcoming them? And he will say, 'O wise and prudent, I am welcoming them because not one of them has ever judged himself worthy. And he will stretch out his arms to us, and we shall fall at his feet, and burst into sobs, and then we shall understand everything, everything! Lord, your kingdom come! Fyodor Dostoevsky spiritualwisefall If you can put the question, 'Am I or am I not responsible for my acts?' then you are responsible. Fyodor Dostoevsky responsibleifs A single day is sufficient for a man to discover what happiness is. Fyodor Dostoevsky sufficientmen They were renewed by love; the heart of each held infinite sources of life for the heart of the other. Fyodor Dostoevsky infiniteheartlife Lack of originality, everywhere, all over the world, from time immemorial, has always been considered the foremost quality and the recommendation of the active, efficient and practical man. Fyodor Dostoevsky qualitynihilismmen ... active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with the love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and with everyone watching. Indeed, it will go as far as the giving even of one's life, provided it does not take long but is soon over, as on stage, and eveyone is looking on and praising. Whereas active love is labor and persistence, and for some people, perhaps, a whole science. Fyodor Dostoevsky persistencedreamlove Through error you come to the truth! I am a man because I err! You never reach any truth without making fourteen mistakes and very likely a hundred and fourteen. Fyodor Dostoevsky errorsmistakemen 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. Fyodor Dostoevsky menbelievelying If I seem happy to you . . . You could never say anything that would please me more. For men are made for happiness, and anyone who is completely happy has a right to say to himself, 'I am doing God's will on earth.' All the righteous, all the saints, all the holy martyrs were happy. Fyodor Dostoevsky please-mesay-anythingmen The more I detest men individually the more ardent becomes my love for humanity. Fyodor Dostoevsky brothers-karamazovhumanitymen Besides, nowadays, almost all capable people are terribly afraid of being ridiculous, and are miserable because of it. Fyodor Dostoevsky ridiculousmiserablepeople 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 Dostoevsky powermatterfeet Luxuries are easy to take up but very difficult to give up Fyodor Dostoevsky luxurygiving-upeasy There is nothing in the world more difficult than candor, and nothing easier than flattery. If there is a hundredth of a fraction of a false note to candor, it immediately produces dissonance, and as a result, exposure. But in flattery, even if everything is false down to the last note, it is still pleasant, and people will listen not without pleasure; with coarse pleasure, perhaps, but pleasure nevertheless. Fyodor Dostoevsky lastspeopleworld Paradise is hidden in each one of use, it is concealed within me too, right now, and if I wish, it will come for me in reality, tomorrow even, and for the rest of my life. Fyodor Dostoevsky usewishreality So long as man remains free he strives for nothing so incessantly and so painfully as to find someone to worship. Fyodor Dostoevsky deep-thoughtmenlong It is not as a child that I believe and confess Jesus Christ. My hosanna is born of a furnace of doubt. Fyodor Dostoevsky faithchildrenjesus Man is a creature that can get accustomed to anything, and I think that is the best definition of him. Fyodor Dostoevsky definitionsmenthinking
