Quotes from Fyodor Dostoevsky

If there is no God, everything is permitted.

Man is unhappy because he doesn't know he's happy. If anyone finds out he'll become happy at once.

It's a burden to us even to be human beings-men with our own real body and blood; we are ashamed of it, we think it a disgrace and try to contrive to be some sort of impossible generalized man.

Perhaps a normal man is supposed to be stupid-how do we know? Perhaps it's even very beautiful.

.. But do you understand, I cry to him, do you understand that along with happiness, in the exact same way, in perfectly equal proportion, man also needs unhappiness

Civilization merely develops man's capacity for a greater variety of sensations, and ... absolutely nothing else.

Without a clear perception of his reasons for living, man will never consent to live, and will rather destroy himself than tarry on earth, though he be surrounded with bread".

Man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find someone quickly to whom he can hand over that great gift of freedom with which the ill-fated creature is born.

Man has not the right to turn aside and heed not what is happening in the world around him, and this I maintain on moral grounds of the highest order.

Can a man of perception respect himself at all?

Suppose, gentleman, that man is not stupid.

One could never judge a man without seeing him close, for oneself.

For men are made for happiness, and any one who is completely happy has a right to say to himself, 'I am doing God's will on earth.'

And yet I am convinced that man will never give up true suffering- that is, destruction and chaos. Why, suffering is the sole root of consciousness.

But gamblers know how a man can sit for almost twenty-four hours at cards, without looking to right, or to left.

Thus, as a result of heightened consciousness, a man feels as if it's all right if he's bad as long as he knows it- as though that were any consolation.

One must be a great man indeed to be able to hold out even against common sense." "Or else a fool.

On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S. Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K. bridge.

You are a man still young, so to say, in your first youth and so put intellect above everything.

When . . . in the course of all these thousands of years has man ever acted in accordance with his own interests?

Do you understand, sir, do you understand what it means when you have absolutely nowhere to turn?" Marmeladov's question came suddenly into his mind "for every man must have somewhere to turn.

It is necessary that every man have at least somewhere to go. For there are times when one absolutely must go at least somewhere!

... you simply can't imagine what men will say!

Money is coined liberty.