Fyodor Dostoevsky was a 19th century novelist and philosopher, considered by many to be one of the most influential authors in all of world literature. Born and raised in Tsarist Russia, Dostoevsky was heavily exposed to the misery and injustice characteristic of his time. Among his more marking experiences, he spent four years in a Siberian labour camp, went through compulsory military service in exile, and had to beg for money while in Western Europe due to his gambling addiction.
And yet, despite his first-hand experience of misery and suffering, Dostoevsky remained hopeful and optimistic about what life is. He is considered to be one of the first writers to incorporate concepts of what we now know as existentialism. Dostoevsky’s works revolve around a few major themes like the meaning of life, the constancy of suffering, the divide between rationality and emotion, spirituality, and the various sides of the human condition.
Some of his well known novels and essays are Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot, and Notes from the Underground. Through his novels and essays, Dostoevsky tried to make sense of the suffering and misery around him, attempting to find meaning and hope even in the bleakest of times. His work represents a deep dive into human suffering, the evil surrounding us, and the problems caused by moral corruption and in each of the universes he created, he gave ways to escape the apparent constant suffering and torment of his characters through moral virtue, love, compassion, and one’s own sense of meaning.
His writings were heavily influential for the existentialist current of philosophy, representing sources of inspiration for other consecrated authors like Friedrich Nietzsche and Jean-Paul Sartre. Which is why in this video, we’ll cover the 10 most important life lessons from Dostoevsky, as well as how we can think of and implement them in today’s world. Excessive self-pride leads to isolation Dostoevsky says “Immense pride is not a sign of dignity”.
In his literary masterpiece, Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky paints the portrait of his main character, Rodion Raskolnikov, as a rational and intellectual philosophy student who believes he is above the rest of his peers due to his mental prowess. This excessive self-pride stops him from making meaningful connections with others, loving, or speaking of his emotions. He believes that he is destined for greater things and that engaging with those less knowledgeable is a waste of time.
As a result, this prompted Raskolnikov to murder an elderly moneylender, as he thought of her as nothing but a parasite for society, and that his moral virtue should permit him to commit the act rightfully. Dostoevsky is highly critical of his character’s attitude. He believes that this kind of toxic self-consciousness stops one from enjoying the beauty of compassion, empathy, and love.
But, as Raskolnikov’s evolution throughout the novel shows, not all intellectuals are doomed to become isolated. Rather, by finding joy through compassion, helping others, and, ultimately, love, Raskolnikov was able to override his moral compass and discover beauty in connection. Although his repentance for his crime still came, his development portrays him as a different person than at the beginning of the novel.
Choosing whether your self-pride will isolate you from the rest is entirely up to you. Thus, Dostoevsky believes that the intellectual whose pride isolates them from society is destined to live in misery and sorrow as a result of their own doing. On the other hand, the one who accepts the differences of their peers and still makes meaningful connections can revel in both love and knowledge at the same time.
In our daily lives, we can apply this insight from Crime and Punishment by seeing knowledge as a tool. Instead of discrediting others as less knowledgeable, we can strive to teach them what we know. Instead of thinking of them as less intelligent than us, we can look for something they know that we do not.
Lastly, we should not take pride in our wealth and status as superior to that of others, but rather to accept that a person’s value cannot be determined by this kind of criteria. Dostoevsky’s bottom line is that rationality alone does not decide the worth of a person, and that compassion and love are much more important in guiding our social lives. In the end, we are all humans, and we should all treat each other with respect and empathy, and not think of others as lesser than us.
Be better for yourself, not for other people According to Dostoevsky; “To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s”. Along with Raskolnikov’s isolation, Dostoevsky also critiques the character’s motivation for attaining knowledge. Raskolnikov strives to be better than the rest of the world so that he can look down on it with a sense of superiority.
He wants to be great because great people are admired, and because he thinks others will regard him highly if he does. Raskolnikov’s attitude is highly superficial and materialistic, although he is not aware of this until the latter part of the novel. Dostoevsky is highly critical of this attitude, as his view on self-growth is centered around developing one’s self for one’s own happiness and discovery of life.
Friedrich Nietzsche, drawing inspiration from Dostoevsky’s work, developed this critique into his concept of the Ubermensch. Nietzsche believed that greatness is virtuous because it allows one to experience, understand, and express more of life. He saw the pursuit of knowledge as a personal journey that one should take only if one intrinsically wants to, not as social status.
While the former is limited in scope, the latter has no bounds. For us, Dostoevsky’s lesson is to not better ourselves because others want us to, but because we do. Becoming better to please others, or to be more highly regarded, means giving up your freedom for the will of others.
Thus, we should never let social status, pride, or the pleasure of flattery drive our desire to know and be more. That, as Raskolnikov later learned, must solely come from within. One way to accomplish this would be to look inward for what our goals in life are, and then decide what we need to do to get there.
Planning our self-growth according to what we want lets us disregard what others think as a significant factor. The opposite would be to look outward for our goals, say, to simply mimic what others are doing, and to never consider if it would make us happy. It’s more important to live life, than to think about life To quote Dostoevsky “The wisest of all, in my opinion, is he who can, if only once a month, call himself a fool”.
Dostoevsky carried great respect for intellectualism and knowledgeable people. Yet, he also believes that rationality can often pull someone out of living in the present and enjoying the small pleasures in life. This theme is discussed deeply in The Idiot.
In the novel, Dostoevsky’s main character, Prince Myshkin, is never drowned in overthinking, despite his wisdom and knowledge. Rather, he embodies living life with open-hearted simplicity and candour, which prompts the other characters to see him as, well, an idiot. Dostoevsky contrasts Prince Myshkin’s attitude with that of the aristocratic class of Tsarist Russia.
While overthinkers often get caught up in political games, Myshkin largely disregards them as insignificant or senseless. A similar theme is explored through Raskolnikov’s transformation in Crime and Punishment, when he learns that embracing all that life has to offer is better than constantly living in his own mind, with his own ideas. However, in both novels, Dostoevsky also notes that attempting to live like this when others do not can often be difficult and can lead to misunderstanding from others.
For us, this lesson is a reminder that our minds have filters that can prevent us from living in the moment. The more we stay buried in our thoughts, the less we can experience what the world has to offer. Maybe we have prejudices towards others, preventing us from making meaningful connections, or maybe we are anxious about what others may think, preventing us from doing what we want.
Either way, we must remember that truly knowledgeable and intellectual people have more in common with simple-minded fools than with prideful, less wise intellectuals. Emotional intelligence is as insightful as rationality In the words of Dostoevsky “It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently”. Going back to Raskolnikov’s evolution, Dostoevsky shows a clear-cut difference between what feels right and what one thinks is right.
Even though Raskolnikov felt that his planned murder was wrong, he choose to act on his rationality and carried it out anyway. However, as he understands in the aftermath of the crime, going against one’s nature and sense of morality is tormenting and painful, even if one’s reason says otherwise. Through this illustration, Dostoevsky critiques the arrogance of those who go against their emotion, or what we may informally know as ‘gut feeling.
’ As was the case with Raskolnikov, rationality can often trick us into thinking that emotions and feelings can be discredited without consequence. In his case, he murders the elderly pawnbroker because he thinks of her as a parasite that contributes nothing to society, and that the world would be better off without her. This train of thought contrasts with his emotional reluctance to kill another human being, and the tormenting aftermath of the murder shows that the gut feeling was, in fact, right.
Although we may not face dilemmas as cruel as Raskolnikov’s, Dostoevsky’s lesson reminds us that rationality is not all-knowing. In many situations, we can rationally accept something to be right, but emotionally reject it or feel bad about it. However, neither rationality nor emotion represents absolute knowledge by any means.
While emotional intelligence can be at times more insightful, this does not mean that we should always go with our gut. Sometimes, like when we ride a rollercoaster, our emotions may tell us that it is dangerous and wrong, but we know that it is not. Therefore, what we should do is to listen to both our rationality and emotion, then decide what the best way forward is that is in balance with both.
For example, if we try to pitch an idea to somebody, we may feel scared of rejection at the beginning. But it is crucial to first understand why the fear of rejection happens, then to understand whether the outcome of rejection would truly be something to fear. If it is, then it’s better to go with your gut, but if not, it’s better just to go for it.
Love life more than its meaning Dostoevsky tells us that “Life is everywhere, life is in us ourselves, not outside. [. .
. ] to be a human being among people and to remain one forever, no matter in what circumstances, not to grow despondent and not to lose heart – that’s what life is all about”. Due to his involvement with a group of anti-governmental intellectuals and the spread of anti-tsarist ideas, Dostoevsky was sentenced to death by firing squad.
However, he was spared by the Tsar at the last moment and sentenced to four years in a labor camp instead. As has become rather clear in his writings, these events have had a profound impact on his view on life. To Dostoevsky, living and experiencing life at its fullest, no matter how or where, is the only kind of meaning one needs to find peace.
His philosophy was tested in a more extreme way during his time in Siberia. As he mentions in his Notes from the Underground, even such a desolate and miserable existence did not take away his appeal to live life. Instead of thinking about how things ought to be, Dostoevsky illustrated that accepting how things are is much more powerful.
Although we are free to decide the meaning of life for ourselves, as existentialist philosophers have underlined in the past, this does not contradict Dostoevsky. Rather, it complements it. Even if we already have an idea of what we want to accomplish in life, we must also remind ourselves that, despite our goals and aspirations, the most important part of life is living life itself.
We should not throw our dreams out the window, but rather understand that accepting life as it is, and trying to make it better are not mutually exclusive. For example, we can both try to make it big in our careers and also be okay with things not working in our favor. The idea is to change the focus from accomplishing to trying, while also accepting that outcomes are often defined by factors outside of our control.
Be virtuous and just Dostoevsky posits that "If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake; that will be his punishment - as well as the prison”. Perhaps one of the more significant themes in Crime and Punishment is Dostoevsky’s view on moral corruption and its consequences. Raskolnikov’s punishment is less about his eight years of penal servitude and more about the psychological torment that he goes through until his confession.
The broader view is that moral corruption itself goes against human nature and it is punished through inner torment, regardless of any physical consequences such as prison or death. On the other hand, Raskolnikov’s switch to moral virtue in the latter part of the novel is rewarded with peace of mind, composure, and a sense of meaning, which was heavily absent before. Lastly, even though we can argue that his confession to his crime had negative consequences, it was, in fact, what allowed him to escape his torment and attain peace at last.
Dostoevsky’s lesson for us is that, it’s always better to remain virtuous and just. If we stray from this path, punishment may not come in a physical manner, but it is most certain to do so psychologically, or in countless other ways. They who are virtuous are those who remain unfettered and peaceful even in the direst of times.
Thus, even if we are certain that an unethical action may remain unpunished or undiscovered, the inner torment that comes with it may make us miserable regardless. And if we find ourselves going through moral corruption, such as hurting others in pursuit of our personal gains, it is crucial to remain aware of the fact that there’s always a way back to virtue. It may require courage, determination, and a will to change, but it is possible nevertheless, even for individuals as corrupted as Raskolnikov.
Fight evil with love and compassion Dostoevsky wrote “I will not and cannot believe that evil is the normal condition of mankind. . ” In Dostoevsky’s documentation of his time spent in the labor camps of Siberia, Notes from the Underground, he extensively tackles the problem of human nature.
More concretely, he argues that evil is something present in all of us, something that can manifest through many shapes and forms - addiction, self-torment, pride, ignorance, and the like. Exposed to the misery caused by human hands in Tsarist Russia, Dostoevsky realizes that evil is a dormant gene of human nature, awakened when one strays away from moral virtue and, in his case, God. As a consequence, the default state of the human condition is, in fact, evil and corruption.
To become, or remain a good person, implies actively suppressing the desire to wrong others, to be unethical, or to only pursue your own interest. This is why, in Dostoevsky’s corpus, compassion and empathy are often regarded as moral virtues - because they represent salvation from the evil embedded in the human condition. What we can extrapolate from this idea is that being good means carrying a constant fight against our inherent inclination towards evil.
It will always be more difficult to be respectful rather than judgemental, compassionate rather than ignorant, or loving rather than hateful. And to remain on the path of moral virtue means to constantly remind ourselves to do the right thing, and to never let ourselves slip into doing things mindlessly on autopilot. The more aware we remain of the problem of evil in the human condition, the better our chances of being different and living life to its fullest.
Moral freedom is no freedom at all Dostoevsky considers the idea that “If there is no god, everything is permitted”. Dostoevsky’s novel, The Brothers Karamazov is a fantastic exploration of the role and philosophy of religion in society. Among the three brothers, the young skeptic Ivan, opposed to the idea that divinity truly exists, says that the role of God is rather to establish a basis for moral order.
By holding the belief that a deity exists to punish evil and reward virtue, a person has an external reason to behave morally and not allow the fundamental evil of the human condition to take over. Ivan’s rejection of God was purely logical and rational, leading to inner torment and despair that crippled the character throughout the novel. The reason for Ivan’s tormenting skepticism is that, in the absence of a divine moral regulation, this external reason disappears and everything is permitted, allowing humans to take the role of God into their own hands.
Absolute moral freedom leads to ideas and beliefs that can and will take the freedom of others away. In order for all to have and enjoy moral freedom, in Dostoevsky’s view a belief such as God is necessary to keep order and peace. What we can adopt from this idea is that freedom can never be absolute.
Without limitations or a system to enforce those limitations, the risk of trampling over the freedom of others, or of descending into moral corruption, is always present. Although Dostoevsky was a believer until his last moments, the lesson should not be as rigid as for all to become religious. Rather, any moral compass like spirituality or philosophy that allows us to both be free and not be tempted to restrict the freedom of others would be appropriate.
In the end, without good and evil, there can never be virtue, and without virtue, there can never be meaning. Compassion and love can break alienation Dostoevsky believed that “Compassion is the chief law of human existence”. Although less developed than in The Brothers Karamazov, the theme of absolute moral freedom is also present in Crime and Punishment through the ideas of Raskolnikov before the murder.
Because he considers himself above most of society, he believes that it is permissible, if not imperative, for him to rid the world of those that do not aid its development. In the former, Dostoevsky encourages each and every person to define their escape from alienation, even if they do not identify with organized religion or currents of philosophy. But in the latter, he pushes more toward compassion and love as the solution, finding salvation the same way Raskolnikov did.
More concretely, even though we are free to define what the meaning of life is, love and care for others are universally virtuous values in Dostoevsky’s perception. Alienation, as presented by Raskolnikov’s journey, is not only about not making connections with others but also about being unable to formulate meaning. In the absence of regard and compassion for others, Raskolnikov, but also Ivan Karamazov, were left in a solitary universe of cold reason and nihilism, where nothing other than the self mattered.
However, by loving and being compassionate, both characters understood that there is more to life than the self, and it is this expansion of their worldviews that allowed them to find peace and meaning at last. For us, Dostoevsky’s idea is imperative to build meaningful connections with others and cherish these connections as much as possible. In reality, nobody knows why we are here, or what grand purpose there is to life, only that we are all in the same boat.
We are all here together, each searching for our own meaning, and we should value togetherness and closeness to others as the only certainty we have in an uncertain universe. Learn to enjoy suffering In our final quote from Dostoevsky for this video, he says “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth”.
Dostoevsky’s experience in life has always revolved around misery and suffering. From his time in Siberia to the tragic evolution of his characters, suffering appears to be a constant element of his narrative universe. For this reason, the theme that is most present in all of his works is that suffering is and will always be part of the human experience.
Regardless of whether you are a young philosophy student who commits a murder, a skeptic of faith in God, or a prisoner in a labour camp, suffering is something that you must confront at one point or another. And in each work of his, Dostoevsky encourages us to enjoy suffering as part of the experience of life. Suffering, through pain, torment, misery, or poverty, is an experience that makes us feel alive, and which prompts an unknowingly powerful desire to keep on living.
His realization, after being spared by the tsar, was that life itself is the meaning of life, and if this included suffering, then so be it. After all, without suffering, we could never tell any emotion apart, as there would be nothing to compare it with. Without moments of suffering, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy moments of happiness and peace.
Thus, it is mandatory for us to experience it. But to enjoy suffering means to enjoy and revel in the complexity of life, with whatever else it has in store for us. Suffering is and will be a part of our everyday lives.
Things do not always go according to plan, and we will often find ourselves battling with feelings such as depression, grief, sorrow, pain, or misery. For Dostoevsky, this is not a reason to give up on the experience of life, but rather to rejoice in the fact that we are human enough to experience such feelings. Moreover, suffering itself gives birth to another, much more powerful sentiment, that of hope.
We must always hope that suffering will give way to pleasure, that things will get better, and that pain is only temporary, as is happiness. To hate suffering means to hate a large part of the human experience, which is the same as failing to find greater meaning in life. But if one learns to enjoy suffering and to treat it as just another stepping stone in their journey, then all shall be well, and all shall be worth it in the end.
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