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
It’s not God that I don’t accept, Alyosha, only I most respectfully return him the ticket.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a rejection of blind faith in God while acknowledging the complexities of belief.
In this quote, the speaker, through the character Alyosha, indicates a thoughtful and respectful rejection of the idea of God, suggesting that while he does not accept the notion of divine authority or fate, he still recognizes the significance of the concept. It speaks to the struggle with faith and the individual's choice in accepting or rejecting external doctrines, emphasizing personal agency in matters of belief.
Themes
FaithBeliefPhilosophyExistenceChoice
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about faith and existence during a philosophy class.
More from Fyodor Dostoevsky
All quotes →What if, when this fog scatters and flies upward, the whole rotten, slimey city goes with it, rises with the fog and vanishes like smoke.
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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.
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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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