1,167 Quotes by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Then I remembered about science and... shut up.

God give peace to the dead, theliving have still to live. That is right, isn’t it?

Merciful Heavens! But what do I care for the laws of nature and arithmetic, when, for some reason I dislike those laws and that twice two makes four?

Yesterday I got caught in the rain, Mama …

But I want you to understand, gentlemen of the jury, that the only reason I have dabbled in psychology here is to demonstrate to you that you can use it to arrive at whatever conclusions suit you best. It all depends on who uses it. Psychology tempts even the most responsible and serious people to create fictions, and they cannot really be blamed for that.

There’s no point in trying to believe something against one’s will. Besides, in matters of faith, proof, especially material proof, is pretty useless. Thomas believed, not because he saw that Christ had risen, but because he had the will to believe beforehand.

My wretched passions were acute, smarting, from my continual, sickly irritability I had hysterical impulses, with tears and convulsions. I had no resource except reading, that is, there was nothing in my surroundings which I could respect and which attracted me. I was overwhelmed with depression, too; I had an hysterical craving for incongruity and for contrast, and so I took to vice.

What did you say about charity for example? Yet the pleasure of bestowing charity is arrogant and immoral, a rich man's pleasure in his own wealth, power and importance compared with that of a pauper. Charity corrupts both the giver and receiver; in addition, it doesn't achieve its purpose because it merely intensifies the poverty.

Происходит только то, что должно происходить. Все начинается вовремя. И заканчивается тоже.