--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At some thoughts one stands perplexed…" description: "\"At some thoughts one stands perplexed, especially at the sight of men's sin, and wonders whether one should use force or humble love. Always decide to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_all-things_at-some-thoughts-one-stands-perplexed-es_1776587.png" --- # At some thoughts one stands perplexed, especially at the… ![“At some thoughts one stands perplexed, especially at the sight of men's sin, and wonders whether one should use force or humble love. Always decide to use humble love. If you resolve on that once for all, you may subdue the whole world.” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_all-things_at-some-thoughts-one-stands-perplexed-es_1776587.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_all-things_at-some-thoughts-one-stands-perplexed-es_1776587.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ca/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_all-things_at-some-thoughts-one-stands-perplexed-es_1776587.png) > “At some thoughts one stands perplexed, especially at the sight of men's sin, and wonders whether one should use force or humble love. Always decide to use humble love. If you resolve on that once for all, you may subdue the whole world.” [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. The passage argues that gentle compassion is more powerful than force in influencing humanity. **In simple terms:** Humility beats force. Key Takeaway Choose love over aggression. Themes compassion power human nature Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical ethical inspirational When to use this quote - conflict resolution - parenting - leadership - social activism Key Concepts ethical philosophy psychology spirituality Questions to Reflect On - Can love truly change a hostile world? - When is force justified? A Different Perspective Love may be insufficient against systemic oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [All things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-things/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Force Humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force-humble-964959/) [Humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble/) [Humble Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble-love-964958/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-always/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Perplexed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perplexed/) [Resolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolve/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sight/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Strongest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strongest/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) [Thoughts Stands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-stands-1825544/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [At some thoughts one stands perplexed - especially at the sight of men's sin - and wonders whether one should use force or humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-some-thoughts-one-stands-perplexed-especially-at-the-sight-of-men-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Force yourself to be humble, until it becomes second nature. Then it will be an unconscious activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamza-yusuf/force-yourself-to-be-humble-until-it-becomes-second-nature-then-it/) [Hamza Yusuf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamza-yusuf/) > [“Love honors the truth of the soul in you and others, the soul created by God. •  Love chooses and is totally willing and desiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-aon-prakasha/love-honors-the-truth-of-the-soul-in-you-and-others-the-soul-created/) [Padma Aon Prakasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-aon-prakasha/) > [I put all my faith into my life; I put only my humble, love, and wisdom into my works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uniique-styles-randxom/i-put-all-my-faith-into-my-life-i-put-only-my-humble-love-and-wisdom/) [Uniique Styles Randxom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uniique-styles-randxom/) > [“Your heart has always been willing to bleed, to ache, to humble itself for love. And, when you’ve had enough, your heart will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-newman/your-heart-has-always-been-willing-to-bleed-to-ache-to-humble-itself/) [Liz Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-newman/) > [Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/whoever-loves-becomes-humble-those-who-love-have-so-to-speak-pawned-a/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [God will never let you sink under your circumstances. He always provides a safety net and His love always encircles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/god-will-never-let-you-sink-under-your-circumstances-he-always/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) > [Why does it seem to be more and more challenging to find a perfect mate or maintain a happy and compatible relationship? Was love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamala-oslie/why-does-it-seem-to-be-more-and-more-challenging-to-find-a-perfect/) [Pamala Oslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamala-oslie/) > [Divine love always has been, and always will be, the answer that you seek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/divine-love-always-has-been-and-always-will-be-the-answer-that-you/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [I see myself forever and ever as the ridiculous man, the lonely soul, the wanderer, the restless frustrated artist, the man in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-see-myself-forever-and-ever-as-the-ridiculous-man-the-lonely-soul/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Love always looks nice. I don't really know anyone who doesn't enjoy it when they see it. Anyone who doesn't, I don't really want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/love-always-looks-nice-i-don-t-really-know-anyone-who-doesn-t-enjoy/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [The things that'll make you fail I'll love always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-things-that-ll-make-you-fail-i-ll-love-always/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [A first love always occupies a special place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-konitz/a-first-love-always-occupies-a-special-place/) [Lee Konitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-konitz/) > [Love always requires tangible expression. It needs hands and feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stearns/love-always-requires-tangible-expression-it-needs-hands-and-feet/) [Richard Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stearns/) > [But love's true nature remains forever beyond the grasp of all our faculties. It is far greater than any feeling or emotion and completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-may/but-love-s-true-nature-remains-forever-beyond-the-grasp-of-all-our/) [Gerald May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-may/) ## 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. For indeed it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-is-only-one-salvation-for-you-take-yourself-up-and-make/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“It is true I am a complete stranger to these people, but they are not strangers to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/it-is-true-i-am-a-complete-stranger-to-these-people-but-they-are-not/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Everything seems stupid when it fails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/everything-seems-stupid-when-it-fails/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Love to throw yourself on the earth and kiss it. 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. Murder by legal sentence is immeasurably more terrible than murder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/to-kill-for-murder-is-a-punishment-incomparably-worse-than-the-crime/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“You magnify your failure to a crime, Vasya.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-magnify-your-failure-to-a-crime-vasya/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [The death of a child is the greatest reason to doubt the existence of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-death-of-a-child-is-the-greatest-reason-to-doubt-the-existence-of/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [In a way there's only a fine shade of difference between the healthy and the deranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/in-a-way-there-s-only-a-fine-shade-of-difference-between-the-healthy/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Now answer me, sincerely, honestly, who lives past forty? I'll tell you who does: fools and scoundrels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/now-answer-me-sincerely-honestly-who-lives-past-forty-i-ll-tell-you/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“There are crimes that are truly uncomely. With crimes, whatever they may be, the more blood, the more horror there is, the more imposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-are-crimes-that-are-truly-uncomely-with-crimes-whatever-they/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) [Explore all 642 Fyodor Dostoevsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## More All things quotes > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [Dear God, I trust that no matter what happens in my life, it is for my highest good. And no matter what happens in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/dear-god-i-trust-that-no-matter-what-happens-in-my-life-it-is-for-my/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Moderation, honey, in all things but love and chocolate. That's my motto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bretton/moderation-honey-in-all-things-but-love-and-chocolate-that-s-my-motto/) [Barbara Bretton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bretton/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) [James Nayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nayler/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/time-which-wears-down-and-diminishes-all-things-augments-and/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Standing as a witness in all things means being kind in all things, being the first to say hello, being the first to smile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-d-nadauld/standing-as-a-witness-in-all-things-means-being-kind-in-all-things/) [Margaret D. 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The universal Cause, by knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-dionysius/god-does-not-possess-a-private-knowledge-of-himself-and-a-separate/) [Pope Dionysius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-dionysius/) [Browse all 2,486 All things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At some thoughts one stands perplexed, especially at the sight of men's sin, and wonders whether one should use force or humble love. Always decide to use humble love. 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