--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... active love is a harsh and fearful…" description: "\"... active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with the love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and with..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_action_active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing_1809907.png" --- # ... active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with… ![“... active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with the love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and with everyone watching. Indeed, it will go as far as the giving even of one's life, provided it does not take long but is soon over, as on stage, and…” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_action_active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing_1809907.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_action_active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing_1809907.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_action_active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing_1809907.png) > “... active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with the love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and with everyone watching. Indeed, it will go as far as the giving even of one's life, provided it does not take long but is soon over, as on stage, and eveyone is looking on and praising. Whereas active love is labor and persistence, and for some people, perhaps, a whole science.” [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Active love requires effort and endurance, unlike fleeting dream love that seeks instant gratification. **In simple terms:** Real love is hard work, not just fantasy. Key Takeaway Invest in sustained, patient love. Themes love effort reality dreams Mood thoughtful serious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - friendship building - long‑term projects - personal relationships Key Concepts commitment patience human nature Questions to Reflect On - What does “active love” look like in your life? - How do you balance passion with perseverance? A Different Perspective Idealizing love can lead to disappointment when reality demands work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Fearful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fearful/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love In Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-in-dreams/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Persistence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persistence/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) ## Related quotes > [“I am sorry I cannot say anything more comforting, for active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams. Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-am-sorry-i-cannot-say-anything-more-comforting-for-active-love-is-a/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“...For active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing-compared-with-love-in/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“I am sorry I can say nothing more to console you, for love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-am-sorry-i-can-say-nothing-more-to-console-you-for-love-in-action/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“...for love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams is greedy for immediate action, rapidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing-compared-with-love/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing-compared-with-love-in-dreams/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Never be frightened at your own faint-heartedness in attaining love. Don't be frightened overmuch even at your evil actions. I am sorry I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/never-be-frightened-at-your-own-faint-heartedness-in-attaining-love/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing-compared-to-love-in/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“One cannot prove anything here, but it is possible to be convinced.' How? By what?' By the experience of active love. Try to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/one-cannot-prove-anything-here-but-it-is-possible-to-be-convinced-how/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing-compared-with-love-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Love in action is harsh and dreadful when compared to love in dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/love-in-action-is-harsh-and-dreadful-when-compared-to-love-in-dreams/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Dostoyevsky says, “love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams” (The Brothers Karamazov).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/dostoyevsky-says-love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [As Dostoevski said: 'Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/as-dostoevski-said-love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“In the words of Dostoyevsky, “Active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamin-goggin/in-the-words-of-dostoyevsky-active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing/) Jamin Goggin > [She dreams a lot. She dreams of Ondines and falling maidens and houses burning in the night. But search her dreams all you like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/she-dreams-a-lot-she-dreams-of-ondines-and-falling-maidens-and-houses/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“The air of a deposed prince. falsehood as restorative-if they wouldnt do that if they wouldnt do all that they do. the body as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-koertge/the-air-of-a-deposed-prince-falsehood-as-restorative-if-they-wouldnt/) [Ron Koertge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-koertge/) ## More by Fyodor Dostoevsky > [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [... you are a man still young, so to say, in your first youth and so put intellect above everything ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-are-a-man-still-young-so-to-say-in-your-first-youth-and-so-put/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“There is only one salvation for you: take yourself up, and make yourself responsible for all the sins of men. 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Kiss the earth and love it with an unceasing, consuming love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-to-throw-yourself-on-the-earth-and-kiss-it-kiss-the-earth-and/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [They have this social justification for every nasty thing they do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/they-have-this-social-justification-for-every-nasty-thing-they-do/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Be the sun and all will see you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/be-the-sun-and-all-will-see-you/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [If you are penitent, you love. And if you love you are of God. All things are atoned for, all things are saved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/if-you-are-penitent-you-love-and-if-you-love-you-are-of-god-all/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“To kill for murder is a punishment incomparably worse than the crime itself. 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