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
The world says: "You have needs - satisfy them. You have as much right as the rich and the mighty. Don't hesitate to satisfy your needs; indeed, expand your needs and demand more." This is the worldly doctrine of today. And they believe that this is freedom. The result for the rich is isolation and suicide, for the poor, envy and murder.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the idea of freedom as the pursuit of endless needs and desires, highlighting the negative consequences this mindset can have.
Dostoevsky critiques the prevalent belief that satisfying one's needs equates to freedom, suggesting that this doctrine leads not to fulfillment but to isolation for the wealthy and destructive emotions like envy and violence for the less fortunate. He underscores the moral implications of a society that encourages an insatiable quest for material satisfaction, contrasting true freedom with the emptiness of rampant consumerism.
Themes
FreedomNeedsSocietyPhilosophyMaterialismWealth
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on modern consumerism, this quote can highlight the dangers of constant desire.
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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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