Fyodor Dostoevsky quotes

Fyodor Dostoevsky, a renowned Russian writer, is widely considered one of the greatest novelists in history. Born in 1821, Dostoevsky's literary works explore complex psychological and philosophical themes, making him a significant figure in world literature. Known for his masterpieces such as "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov," Dostoevsky's writing delves into the depths of the human psyche, providing profound insights into the human condition. With his unique writing style and extraordinary character development, Dostoevsky's novels continue to captivate readers worldwide. Discover the brilliance of Dostoevsky's literary genius and explore the profound depths of his enigmatic characters through his timeless works.

To kill someone for committing murder is a punishment incomparably worse than the crime itself. Murder by legal sentence is immeasurably more terrible than murder by brigands.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

To be in love is not the same as loving. You can be in love with a woman and still hate her.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

The second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Right or wrong, it’s very pleasant to break something from time to time.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

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.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

One can know a man from his laugh, and if you like a man’s laugh before you know anything of him, you may confidently say that he is a good man.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

If you want to be respected by others the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

I think the devil doesn’t exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

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

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

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

Men do not accept their prophets and slay them, but they love their martyrs and worship those whom they have tortured to death.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Deprived of meaningful work, men and women lose their reason for existence; they go stark, raving mad.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

It seems, in fact, as though the second half of a man's life is made up of nothing, but the habits he has accumulated during the first half.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

One can know a man from his laugh, and if you like a man's laugh before you know anything of him, you may confidently say that he is a good man.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

If you were to destroy the belief in immortality in mankind, not only love but every living force on which the continuation of all life in the world depended, would dry up at once.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

The soul is healed by being with children.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

To live without Hope is to Cease to live.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

There is no subject so old that something new cannot be said about it.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

If there is no God, everything is permitted.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

There are things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Realists do not fear the results of their study.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

To love someone means to see him as God intended him.

- 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

The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness.

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

It is not possible to eat me without insisting that I sing praises of my devourer?

- Fyodor Dostoevsky