Freedom of conscience usually means freedom from conscience.
Behind strong passions is often hidden only a weak will.
Folk art has value not because of the benefits it brings, but because of the harms it avoids, providing a less crass pleasure.
Why is piety required of the priest, while the doctor, treating others, is not obliged to be healthy?
Once, a living source of happiness was seen in woman, because of which physical pleasure was forgotten, and in her a physiological device for physical pleasure was seen, because of which happiness was forgotten.
Once, the face was valued and the body was hidden, now the body is valued, and the face is indifferent to us.
Teachers are given the opportunity not to put your own thinking to sleep, but to awaken someone else's thinking.
The habits of the parents, both good and bad, turn into the children's vices.
The prologue of the 20th century is the powder factory. The epilogue is a Red Cross hut.
The past must be known not because it passed, but because, passing, it did not know how to eliminate its consequences.
The direct path is the shortest distance between two troubles.
A thinking man has only himself to fear, for he must be his only merciless judge.
The difference between the clergy and other Russian states: here there are many alcoholics, beyond there are few sober ones.
The Roman emperors went mad with autocracy; why not drive the emperor Paul mad as well?
The novelist who paints the souls of others, paints his own soul; the psychologist who observes his own soul thinks he is studying the souls of others.
Shy, but not a coward.
The Russian intelligentsia will soon find itself in the position of a candy seller in front of hungry people.
A Russian from the people - Orthodox - lives his faith as a service to the church, which was imposed on him for the salvation of someone's soul, but not his own soul, which he neither learned nor wanted to save. No matter how much you pray, the devil will still take his part. That is his whole theology.
The Russian mind manifests itself most clearly in nonsense.
The Russian clergy have always taught their flock not to know and love God, but only to fear the devils, whom he gave birth to, together with their priestesses.
The smartest thing in life, however, is death, because only it corrects all the mistakes and follies of life.
A conceited man is one who cares more about other people's opinions about him than his own opinion. To be conceited is to love yourself more than others, and to respect others more than yourself.
The surest and probably the only way to become happy is to imagine yourself this way.
The most scoffing man is he who laughs at his own passions.
The most invincible man is the one who is not afraid to look stupid.
How long do people need to understand the century they lived in? For three centuries. When will mankind understand the meaning of his life? Three thousand years after his death.
Death is the greatest mathematician, because it solves all problems without any mistakes.
Looking at how they believe in God, I really want to believe in the devil.
Sport has become a favorite subject of reflection and will soon become the only method of thought.
The vulgar mediocre statistical man has no need of religion, however difficult it may be for him. It is necessary only for very small or very large people: the former it elevates, and the latter it keeps high. Vulgar mediocre people need neither elevation, because they are too lazy to rise, nor support, because they have nowhere to fall.