Top 15 Fyodor Dostoyevsky Quotes

Russian novelist (1821–1881)

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Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevsky [Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский] (11 November 1821 - 9 February 1881) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and journalist. Dostoevsky's literary works explore the human condition in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century Russia, and engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. Many literary critics rate him as one of the greatest novelists in all of world literature, as multiple of his works are considered highly influential masterpieces.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Pen Names: Д. • Друг Кузьмы Пруткова • Зубоскал • —ий • М. • Летописец • М-ий • Н. Н. • Пружинин • Зубоскалов • Ред. • Ф. Д. • N.N.

Native Name: Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский

Alternative Names: Dostoievski • Fyodor Dostoievski • Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoievski • Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky • Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky • F.M. Dostoiewski • Fyodor Dostoevsky • Fyodor Doestoevsky • Doestoevsky

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Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.

Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.

To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.

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

I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.

Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn't calculate his happiness.

"I love mankind, he said, "but I find to my amazement that the more I love mankind as a whole, the less I love man in particular.

We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.

It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.

The soul is healed by being with children.

But how could you live and have no story to tell?

The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.

"People speak sometimes about the "bestial" cruelty of man, but that is terribly unjust and offensive to beasts, no animal could ever be so cruel as a man, so artfully, so artistically cruel."

Talking nonsense is the sole privilege mankind possesses over the other organisms. It's by talking nonsense that one gets to the truth! I talk nonsense, therefore I'm human

Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.