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
I think that if one is faced by inevitable destruction -- if a house is falling upon you, for instance -- one must feel a great longing to sit down, close one's eyes and wait, come what may . . .
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a human response to unavoidable disaster, emphasizing a desire for acceptance in the face of fate.
In this quote, Fyodor Dostoevsky explores the concept of resignation in the face of inevitable destruction. When confronted with situations beyond our control, such as an impending disaster symbolized by a collapsing house, there is a deep-seated urge to surrender to fate, suggesting that sometimes passivity and acceptance can be a natural human response to overwhelming circumstances.
Themes
DestructionFateAcceptanceResignationInevitability
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming adversity, one might use this quote to illustrate the struggle of facing insurmountable challenges.
More from Fyodor Dostoevsky
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.
Fyodor DostoevskyRead
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