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
Since man cannot live without miracles, he will provide himself with miracles of his own making. He will believe in witchcraft and sorcery, even though he may otherwise be a heretic, an atheist, and a rebel.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humans create their own beliefs and miracles to cope with the need for meaning.
This quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky highlights the inherent human desire for miracles and extraordinary experiences. It suggests that when faced with the mundane reality of life, individuals often resort to creating their own 'miracles,' whether through belief in the supernatural or other extraordinary concepts, despite their rational inclinations or belief systems. This reflects a deep psychological need to find meaning and wonder in existence.
Themes
MiraclesBeliefHuman NatureMeaningIllusion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the importance of belief systems in human experience.
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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, 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.
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