I here ask pardon of all my compatriots for everything of which I have been guilty towards them. I know that, by my ill-considered and immature works, I have brought distress to many and that I have even provoked others to attack me openly and, in general, have produced displeasure in many.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a heartfelt apology and acknowledgment of one's wrongdoings that have harmed others.
In this quote, Nikolai Gogol reflects on the impact of his actions on his fellow compatriots, taking responsibility for the distress and displeasure he has caused. This introspective admission of guilt reveals a deep understanding of the consequences of one's actions and the desire for reconciliation, emphasizing the significance of accountability in relationships within society.
In practice
During a public speech, one might quote Gogol to emphasize the importance of acknowledging past mistakes.
At the end of the table, the secretary was reading the decision in some case, but in such a mournful and monotonous voice, that the condemned man himself would have fallen asleep while listening to it. The judge, no doubt, would have been the first of all to do so, had he not entered into an engrossing conversation while it was going on.
You can't imagine how stupid the whole world has grown nowadays.
Two turtle doves will show thee Where my cold ashes lie And sadly murmuring tell thee How in tears I did die
Nothing could be more pleasant than to live in solitude, enjoy the spectacle of nature, and occasionally read some book.
If you have not first pondered the entire situation of the man whom you wish to help, and if you have not brought with you instructions for him to follow henceforth in leading his life, he will not receive great good from your help.
There are certain words which are nearer and dearer to a man than any others.
In other words, we are never freer than when we become most ourselves, most human, most just, most excellent, and the like.
The perplexity of life arises from there being too many interesting things in it for us to be interested properly in any of them.
Let man be true and every god a liar.
It seems to be the fate of idealists to obtain what they have struggled for in a form which destroys their ideals.
If in a discussion of many matters ... we are not able to give perfectly exact and self-consistent accounts, do not be surprised: rather we would be content if we provide accounts that are second to none in probability.
If it is true that only misfortune can awaken a man's soul, it is a bitter truth, one that is hard to hear and accept, and it is only natural that many people deny it and say it is better for a man to live on in a trance than to wake up to torture.
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