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
...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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects a deep yearning for comfort and security in the face of life's horrors.
In this quote, Dostoevsky explores the profound desire to return to a place of safety and familiarity, likening it to children longing for their mother. It highlights the human instinct to seek refuge in the comforting embrace of 'mother earth' when confronted with the fears and challenges of the world, suggesting that many seek solace in the past or in death as an escape from suffering.
Themes
ComfortEarthFearDeathSafety
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about existential fears and the human condition.
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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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Power is only vouchsafed to the man who dares to stoop and pick it up. There is only one thing, one thing needful: one has only to dare!
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