The Brothers Karamazov Quotes

“I always feel when I meet people that I am lower than all, and that they all take me for a buffoon; so I say let me play the buffoon, for you are, every one of you, stupider and lower than I." He longed to revenge himself on every one for his own unseemliness. He suddenly recalled how he had once in the past been asked, "Why do you hate so and so, so much?" And he had answered them, with his shameless impudence, "I'll tell you. He has done me no harm. But I played him a dirty trick, and ever since I have hated him.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“One can love one's neighbours in the abstract, or even at a distance, but at close quarters it's almost impossible.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“I looked at her for three seconds, or five perhaps, with fearful hatred-that hate which is only a hair's-breath from love, from the maddest love!”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“قد تمر قرب طفل وقد عصف بك الغضب، فتفلت من لسانك كلمة سيئة، لعلك لم تلاحظ وجود الطفل، ولكنه رآك، والصورة النجسة الخبيثة التي تركتها له ستبقى في قرارة قلبه، لقد بذرت -دون أن يخطر ببالك- بذرة الشر في هذا الكائن الصغير، ولا شك أن البذرة السيئة ستطلع يوما لتجلب له الشقاء”
― Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“You will have many enemies, but even your foes will love you. Life will bring you many misfortunes, but you will find your happiness in them, and will bless life and will make others bless it--which is what matters most.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“To consider freedom as directly dependent on the number of man’s requirements and the extent of their immediate satisfaction shows a twisted understanding of human nature, for such an interpretation only breeds in men a multitude of senseless, stupid desires and habits and endless preposterous inventions.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“Indeed, precious memories may remain even of a bad home, if only the heart knows how to find what is precious.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“And one may ask what is the good of a love that must constantly be spied on, and what is the worth of a love that needs to be guarded so intensely? But that is something the truly jealous will never understand, though at the same time there happen, indeed, to be lofty hearts among them. It is also remarkable that these same lofty-hearted men, while standing in some closet, eavesdropping and spying, though they understand clearly ‘in their lofty hearts’ all the shame they have gotten into of their own will, nevertheless, at least for the moment, while standing in that closet, will not feel any pangs of remorse. Mitya’s jealousy disappeared at the sight of Grushenka, and for a moment he became trustful and noble, and even despised himself for his bad feelings. But this meant only that his love for this woman consisted of something much higher than he himself supposed, and not in passion alone, not merely in that “curve of the body” he had explained to Alyosha. But when Grushenka disappeared, Mitya at once began to suspect in her all the baseness and perfidy of betrayal. And for that he felt no pangs of remorse.”
― Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov: A Novel in Four Parts With Epilogue

“...we are of a broad, Karamazovian nature--and this is what I am driving at--capable of containing all possible opposites and of contemplating both abysses at once, the abyss above us, an abyss of lofty ideals, and the abyss beneath us, and abyss of the lowest and foulest degradation.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“Gentlemen, we are all cruel, we are all monsters, we all make people weep, mothers and nursing babies, but of all--let it be settled here and now--of all, I am the lowest vermin! So be it! Every day of my life I've been beating my breast and promising to reform, and every day I've done the same vile things. I understand now that for men such as I a blow is needed, a blow of fate, to catch them as with a noose and bind them by an external force. Never, never would I have risen by myself! But the thunder has struck. I accept the torment of accusation and of my disgrace before all, I want to suffer and be purified by suffering!”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“Active love is labor and perseverance, and for some people, perhaps, a whole science. But I predict that even in that very moment when you see with horror that despite all your efforts, you not only have not come nearer your goal but seem to have gotten farther from it, at that very moment--I predict this to you--you will suddenly reach your goal and will clearly behold over you the wonder-working power of the Lord, who all the while has been loving you, and all the while has been mysteriously guiding you.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“But profound as psychology is, it's a knife that cuts both ways (...). I have purposely resorted to this method, gentlemen of the jury, to show that you can prove anything by it. It all depends on who makes use of it. Psychology lures even most serious people into romancing, and quite unconsciously. I am speaking of the abuse of psychology, gentlemen.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“What terrible tragedies realism inflicts on people,”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“Every day and every hour, every minute, walk round yourself and watch yourself, and see that your image is a seemly one. You pass by a little child, you pass by, spiteful, with ugly words, with wrathful heart; you may not have noticed the child, but he has seen you, and your image, unseemly and ignoble, may remain in his defenceless heart. You don't know it, but you may have sown an evil seed in him and it may grow, and all because you were not careful before the child, because you did not foster in yourself a careful, actively benevolent love. Brothers, love is a teacher; but one must know how to acquire it, for it is hard to acquire, it is dearly bought, it is won slowly by long labour. For we must love not only occasionally, for a moment, but for ever. Everyone can love occasionally, even the wicked can.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“إن ما قد يبدو لك في طبيعتك شرا انما يصفيه وينقيه ويطهره مجرد شعورك به”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“I know that my youth will triumph over everything - every disillusionment, every disgust with life. I’ve asked myself many times whether there is in in the world any despair that would overcome this frantic and perhaps unseemly thirst for life in me, and I've come to the conclusion that there isn't...”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“إن الترتيل لا يخفف عن النفس إلا لأنه يحيي جروح القلب وينكؤها أعمق فأعمق. إن هذه الصورة من صور الألم لا تتطلب عزاء ولا تسعى إلى سلوى، لأنها تتغذى من الشعور باستحالة إشباعه، فالترتيل إنما هو التعبير عن الحاجة إلى نكء الجروح بغير توقف.”
― فيودور دوستويفسكي, The Brothers Karamazov

“وهذا هوا الساقي الحكيم جدا يصب الخمر المدهشة ، أنا الآن سعيد لأني وهبت بصلة في هذا اليوم”
― دستويفسكي, الإخوة كارامزوف

“كي يحب الإنسان الآخر يجب أن يكون خفياً فإن ظهر وجهه زالت المحبة”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“And man has actually invented God. And what's strange, what would be marvellous, is not that God should really exist; the marvel is that such an idea, the idea of the necessity of God, could enter the head of such a savage, vicious beast as man. So holy it is, so touching, so wise and so great a credit it does to man.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“For everyone now strives most of all to seperate his person, wishing to experience the fullness of life within himself, and yet what comes of all his efforts is not the fullness of life, but full suicide, for instead of the fullness of self-definition, they fall into complete isolation.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“He who loves men, loves their joy.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“Don't think I'm talking nonsense because I'm drunk. I'm not a bit drunk. Brandy's all very well, but I need two bottles to make me drunk.”
― Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“Know, then, that now, precisely now, these people are more certain than ever before that they are completely free, and at the same time they themselves have brought us their freedom and obediently laid it at our feet. It is our doing, but is it what you wanted? This sort of freedom?'
Again I don't understand', Alyosha interrupted, 'Is he being ironic? Is he laughing?'
Not in the least. He precisely lays it to his and his colleagues' credit that they have finally overcome freedom, and have done so in order to make people happy.”
― Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“When all are undressed, one is somehow not ashamed, but when one's the only one undressed and everybody is looking, it's degrading,' he kept repeating to himself, again and again. 'It's like a dream, I've sometimes dreamed of being in such degrading positions.' It was a misery to him to take off his socks. They were very dirty, and so were his underclothes, and now everyone could see it. And what was worse, he disliked his feet. All his life he had thought both his big toes hideous. He particularly loathed the coarse, flat, crooked nail on the right one, and now they would all see it. Feeling intolerably ashamed made him, at once and intentionally, rougher. He pulled off his shirt, himself.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“No, I can't admit it. Brother,' said Alyosha suddenly, with flashing eyes, 'you said just now, is there a being in the whole world who would have the right to forgive and could firgive? But there is a Being and He can forgive everything, all and for all, because He gave His innocent blood for all and everything. You have forgotten Him, and on Him is built the edifice, and it is to Him they cry aloud, "Thou art just, O Lord, for Thy ways are revealed!”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“عاد بعد بكاءه الطويل في النهار فاتر الشعور، بارد العاطفة، لكنّه أصبح منذ ذلك الحين أشدّ صمتًا، وأكثر تواضعًا، وأكبر قوّة، وأطول رويّة”
― فيودور دوستويفسكي, الأخوة كارامازوف

“Somos assim: sonhamos o voo mas tememos a altura. Para voar é preciso ter coragem para enfrentar o terror do vazio. Porque é só no vazio que o voo acontece. O vazio é o espaço da liberdade, a ausência de certezas. Por isso trocamos o voo por gaiolas. As gaiolas são o lugar onde as certezas moram.”
― Fiodor Dostoïevski, Os Irmãos Karamazov

“Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and praise God in your loneliness. And if two of you are gathered together - then there is a whole world, a world of living love. Embrace each other tenderly and praise God, for if only in you two His truth has been fulfilled.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“Brothers, have no fear of men's sin. Love a man even in his sin, for that is the semblance of Divine Love and is the highest love on earth. Love all of God's creation, the whole and every grain of sand in it. Love every leaf, every ray of God's light. Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov