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Do we ever get what we really want? Do we ever achieve what our powers have ostensibly equipped us for? No: everything works by contraries.

Nikolai Gogol

But wise is the man who disdains no character, but with searching glance explores him to the root and cause of all.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Exploration Himself Oneself Reason Search Wisdom
How much savage coarseness is concealed in refined, cultivated manners.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Culture Manner Refine Savage
They’re thinking of turning the peasant into an educated man. Why, first of all they should make him a good and prosperous farmer and then he’ll learn all that is necessary for him to know.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Education Himself Known Learning Prosperous Thinking
We ought to thank God for that. Yes, the man who tills the land is more worthy of respect than any.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

God Man Respect Thankful Worth
Sank into the profound slumber which comes only to such fortunate folk as are troubled neither with mosquitoes nor fleas nor excessive activity of brain.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Activity Brain Fortunate Trouble
The Lord grant we may all be tillers of the soil.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Blessing Soil
What is stronger in us – passion or habit? Or are all the violent impulses, all the whirl of our desires and turbulent passions, only the consequence of our ardent age, and is it only through youth that they seem deep and shattering?
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Deep Emotion Feeling Habit Ourselves Passion Strong Violence
The longer and more carefully we look at a funny story, the sadder it becomes.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Care Focus Funny Sadness
Two turtle doves will show thee Where my cold ashes lie And sadly murmuring tell thee How in tears I did die.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Death Murmur Myself Show Tears
Nothing could be more pleasant than to live in solitude, enjoy the spectacle of nature, and occasionally read some book.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Book Enjoyment Live Nature Peace Pleasant Reading Solitude
There are occasions when a woman, no matter how weak and impotent in character she may be in comparison with a man, will yet suddenly become not only harder than any man, but even harder than anything and everything in the world.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Character Man Occasion Weakness Willing Woman
You can’t imagine how stupid the whole world has grown nowadays.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Grown Imagination Stupidity Yourself
For public opinion does not admit that lofty rapturous laughter is worthy to stand beside lofty lyrical emotion and that there isall the difference in the world between it and the antics of a clown at a fair.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Clown Difference Emotion Laughter Lyrics Opinion Public
But youth has a future. The closer he came to graduation, the more his heart beat. He said to himself: “This is still not life, this is only the preparation for life.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Future Graduation Life Preparation Youth
For contemporary judgment does not recognize that much depth of soul is needed to light up the picture drawn from contemptible life and elevate it into a pearl of creation.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Creation Judgment Pearl Photograph Recognition
There are passions that it is not for man to choose.
NIKOLAI GOGOL

Choice Deep Inspirational Man Passion

Do we ever get what we really want? Do we ever achieve what our powers have ostensibly equipped us for? No: everything works by contraries.

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Do we ever get what we really want? Do we ever achieve what our powers have ostensibly equipped us for? No: everything works by contraries.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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