Anton Chekhov Quotations | Page 5

Humankind has understood history as a series of battles because, to this day, it regards conflict as the central facet of life.

Without a knowledge of languages you feel as if you don't have a passport.

One can prove or refute anything at all with words. Soon people will perfect language technology to such an extent that they'll beproving with mathematical precision that twice two is seven.

Nothing better forges a bond of love, friendship or respect than common hatred toward something.

To believe in God is not hard. Inquisitors, Byron and Arakcheev believed in Him. No, believe in man!

The stupider the peasant, the better the horse understands him.

At the door of every happy person there should be a man with a hammer whose knock would serve as a constant reminder of the existence of unfortunate people.

The bourgeoisie loves so-called "positive" types and novels with happy endings since they lull one into thinking that it is fine to simultaneously acquire capital and maintain one's innocence, to be a beast and still be happy.

It doesn't matter that your painting is small. Kopecks are also small, but when a lot are put together they make a ruble. Each painting displayed in a gallery and each good book that makes it into a library, no matter how small they may be, serve a great cause: accretion of the national wealth.

Oh, I have now a mania for shortness. Whatever I read - my own or other people's works - it all seems to me not short enough.