Reason and Knowledge have always played a secondary, subordinate, auxiliary role in the life of peoples, and this will always be the case. A people is shaped and driven forward by an entirely different kind of force, one which commands and coerces them and the origin of which is obscure and inexplicable despite the reality of its presence.

I am strongly convinced that not only too much consciousness but even any consciousness at all is a sickness.

At first it was simply liking, Nastenka, but now, now ! I am just in the same position as you were when you went to him with your bundle. In a worse position than you, Nastenka,because he cared for no one else as you do.

My friends, God is necessary for me if only because he is the one being who can be loved eternally.

One must first learn to live oneself before one blames others.

The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.

To achieve perfection, one must first begin by not understanding many things! And if we understand too quickly, we may not understand well.