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
Beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Beauty encompasses both positive and negative aspects, reflecting the complexities of human existence.
This quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky suggests that beauty is not only something that can inspire awe and admiration, but it also has a darker, more ambiguous side. The conflict between good and evil, represented by God and the devil, takes place within the human heart, highlighting the internal struggles and dualities that individuals face in their pursuit of understanding beauty and morality in life.
Themes
BeautyMysteryGoodEvilHeartHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the complexities of human emotions in a philosophy class.
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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.
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