But what can a decent man speak of with most pleasure? Answer: Of himself. Well, so I will talk about myself.

After all, bluff and real emotion exist so easily side by side.

On our earth we can only love withsuffering and through suffering.

Russians alone are able to combine so many opposites in themselves at one and the same time.

A cultivated and decent man cannot be vain without setting a fearfully high standard for himself, and without despising and almost hating himself at certain moments.

In most cases, people, even wicked people, are far more naive and simple-hearted than one generally assumes. And so are we.

That's just the point: an honest and sensitive man opens his heart, and the man of business goes on eating - and then he eats you up.