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
Love animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harrass them, don't deprive them of their happiness, don't work against God's intent. Man, do not pride yourself on superiority to animals; they are without sin, and you, with your greatness, defile the earth by your appearance on it, and leave the traces of your foulness after you - alas, it is true of almost every one of us!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the moral responsibility humans have towards animals and critiques human arrogance over them.
In this quote, Fyodor Dostoevsky reflects on the inherent purity and joy of animals, suggesting that they possess a form of thought and happiness that should be respected. He warns against human arrogance and the tendency to dominate over animals, highlighting the moral implications of how humans can harm the natural world in contrast to the innocent existence of animals. This serves as a reminder to consider our actions and their impacts on the lives of other beings and the environment.
Themes
AnimalsLoveMoralitySuperiorityHumanityHappiness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of animal rights, this quote serves to remind us of our moral duty.
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!
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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.
Fyodor DostoevskyRead
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