May 13, 2025

10 most iconic lines by Dostoevsky that make people sit back and overthink life

Aakanksha Sharma

Iconic lines by Dostoevsky

Fyodor Dostoevsky, one of the most iconic Russian authors who has spread a ‘Fyodor Fever’ around the world, is credited with some of the most iconic and distinct classics. And here we mention 10 most iconic lines from his works that will make people overthink life.

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The pitfalls of lying

“Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.”

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On life’s choices

“To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.” - This quote will make people think back about the value of individuality and its joys against conformity, and will make them doubt their wrong decisions over the years.

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Man vs Mankind ​

“I love mankind, he said, "but I find to my amazement that the more I love mankind as a whole, the less I love man in particular.” - Another deep and profound quote, this one makes people overthink about the duality of man, and his character.

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The real devil

“I think the devil doesn't exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness.” - There are men and women who are the personifications of evil, but how do we know what evil truly is?

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The interesting people

“We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.” - A beautiful quote, this one will make people think back about their experiences with people.

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Finding purpose

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” - This quote makes people re-think and overthink about whether they have truly lived for a purpose, or are just getting by with the days.

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The cruelty of man

“People speak sometimes about the "bestial" cruelty of man, but that is terribly unjust and offensive to beasts, no animal could ever be so cruel as a man, so artfully, so artistically cruel.”

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On human behaviour and thought

“The world says: "You have needs -- satisfy them. You have as much right as the rich and the mighty. Don't hesitate to satisfy your needs.” They believe that this is freedom. The result for the rich is isolation and suicide, for the poor, envy and murder.”

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On beauty

“The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there and the battlefield is the heart of man.” - If a human is disillusioned with another’s beauty, this quote will set them straight on track.

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A love for suffering?

“Man is sometimes extraordinarily, passionately, in love with suffering...” - We like to think that we hate suffering, but this quote makes us look back at actions where we made ourselves suffer.

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Thanks For Reading!

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