“To achieve perfection, one must first begin by not understanding many things!”

— Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot (1869), Part 4 (translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky)

About Fyodor Dostoevsky

1821 – 1881

Russian novelist, author of 'Crime and Punishment' and 'The Brothers Karamazov'.

“A dream! What is a dream? And is not our life a dream?”

“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.”

“If you want to be respected by others the great thing is to respect yourself.”

“The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

“All great truths begin as blasphemies.”

“It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.”

“Most of the change we think we see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor.”

“Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots.”