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.
Fyodor DostoevskyRead
Let it not be a beautiful face,' I thought, 'but to make up for that, let it be a noble, an expressive, and, above all, an extremely intelligent one.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that inner qualities, such as intelligence and nobility, are more important than physical beauty.
In this quote, Dostoevsky expresses the idea that while a beautiful appearance may be appealing, it is the inner characteristics such as intelligence, expressiveness, and nobility that truly define a person's worth. This perspective challenges societal norms that often prioritize outward beauty and highlights the value of substance and character in relationships and human interactions.
Themes
BeautyIntelligenceNobilityCharacterExpressiveness
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about what qualities to value in partners, one might use this quote to steer the conversation toward the importance of inner virtues.
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Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled.
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Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love.
Fyodor DostoevskyRead
But do you understand, I cry to him, do you understand that if you have the guillotine in the forefront, and with such glee, it's for the sole reason that cutting heads off is the easiest thing, and having an idea is difficult!
Fyodor DostoevskyRead
...to return to their 'native soil,' as they say, to the bosom, so to speak, of their mother earth, like frightened children, yearning to fall asleep on the withered bosom of their decrepit mother, and to sleep there for ever, only to escape the horrors that terrify them.
Fyodor DostoevskyRead
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