Dostoyevsky on happiness and unhappiness

December 5, 2025 Mike Zonta 1 Comment

Portrait by Vasily Perov, c. 1872

“The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness.”

~ Dostoyevsky

Russian novelist (October 30, 1821 – February 9, 1881), short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influential masterpieces. Wikipedia

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One thought on “Dostoyevsky on happiness and unhappiness”

Michael Kelly says:

December 5, 2025 at 9:41 pm

He is also associated with the origins of existentialism in the context of his (essay?), “Notes from the Underground.” See Walter Kaufmann (1975’), *Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre.*
Per Amazon, “One of the foremost resources on existentialism from renowned philosopher, poet, and Nietzsche translator Walter Kaufmann–a must-read for philosophers, both armchair and professional….

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Dostoyevsky on happiness and unhappiness

“The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness.”

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