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
I wanted to pray for an hour, but I keep thinking and thinking, and always sick thoughts, and my head aches - what is the use of praying? - it's only a sin! It is strange, too, that I am not sleepy: in great, too great sorrow, after the first outbursts one is always sleepy. Men condemned to death, they say, sleep very soundly on the last night. And so it must be, it si the law of nature, otherwise their strength would not hold out... I lay down on the sofa but I did not sleep...
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the futility of prayer when consumed by negative thoughts and the struggle with deep sorrow.
In this quote, Dostoevsky explores the conflict between the desire to find solace in prayer and the overwhelming presence of troubling thoughts that hinder this spiritual pursuit. He suggests that in moments of profound sorrow, one may feel disconnected from prayer, questioning its purpose when faced with mental anguish. The mention of men condemned to death highlights a paradox where, despite external anguish, there is an expectation of inner peace that escapes the sufferer, emphasizing the complex nature of human emotion and mental state.
Themes
PrayerSorrowThoughtsAnguishExistential
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the struggles of faith in times of despair.
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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!
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...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.
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