--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One's own free and unfettered volition…" description: "\"One's own free and unfettered volition, one's own caprice, however wild, one's own fancy, inflamed sometimes to the point of madness - that is the one ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_caprice_one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-o_618938.png" --- # One's own free and unfettered volition, one's own caprice… ![“One's own free and unfettered volition, one's own caprice, however wild, one's own fancy, inflamed sometimes to the point of madness - that is the one best and greatest good, which is never taken into consideration because it cannot fit into any classification and the omission of which sends all…” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_caprice_one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-o_618938.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_caprice_one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-o_618938.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_caprice_one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-o_618938.png) > “One's own free and unfettered volition, one's own caprice, however wild, one's own fancy, inflamed sometimes to the point of madness - that is the one best and greatest good, which is never taken into consideration because it cannot fit into any classification and the omission of which sends all systems and theories to the devil.” [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 quote celebrates absolute personal freedom and unpredictable desire as the highest good, arguing that rational systems ignore it because it defies categorization, leading to flawed theories. **In simple terms:** True freedom is the ultimate good, but it resists classification. Key Takeaway Embrace the chaos of personal desire. Themes freedom individualism philosophy creativity chaos Mood introspective provocative Type philosophical literary critical When to use this quote - personal decision making - artistic creation - psychological analysis - ethical debates Key Concepts existentialism human nature irrationality Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal freedom with social responsibility? - When does desire become destructive? A Different Perspective It can justify harmful selfishness if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caprice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caprice/) [Classification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classification/) [Consideration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consideration/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Omission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/omission/) [Unfettered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfettered/) [Volition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volition/) ## Related quotes > [One's own free unfettered choice, one's own caprice-however wild it may be, one's own fancy worked up at times to frenzy-is that very "most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/one-s-own-free-unfettered-choice-one-s-own-caprice-however-wild-it/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Unfettered free trade has led to a disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/unfettered-free-trade-has-led-to-a-disaster/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [Unfettered markets eventually get out of whack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/unfettered-markets-eventually-get-out-of-whack/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [“Let all of life be an unfettered howl.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/let-all-of-life-be-an-unfettered-howl/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Unfettered is an anthology filled with magic, wonderment, and hope. It is more than it's combined stories, though. It is the power of friendship.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-speakman/unfettered-is-an-anthology-filled-with-magic-wonderment-and-hope-it/) [Shawn Speakman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-speakman/) > [“Denny's is a hellscape of unfettered free will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/denny-s-is-a-hellscape-of-unfettered-free-will/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“An artist is ultimately remembered for creating an uncompromised body of work. Uncompromised, unfettered and fiercely passionate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nidhie-sharma/an-artist-is-ultimately-remembered-for-creating-an-uncompromised-body/) [Nidhie sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nidhie-sharma/) > [Unfettered capitalism is a revolutionary force that consumes greater and greater numbers of human lives until it finally consumes itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/unfettered-capitalism-is-a-revolutionary-force-that-consumes-greater/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Practice unfettered living from the heart, abandoning all self-imposed limitations to emerge a new, creativity unleashed, giving of yourself like never before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-ruprell/practice-unfettered-living-from-the-heart-abandoning-all-self-imposed/) [Pooja Ruprell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-ruprell/) > [“First, let no one rule your mind or body. Take special care that your thoughts remain unfettered...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/first-let-no-one-rule-your-mind-or-body-take-special-care-that-your-2/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [“Power surged through him: unfettered power, unimaginable power. It coursed through him and gave life to his maddened cry, feeding it, making it unnecesssary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-donais/power-surged-through-him-unfettered-power-unimaginable-power-it/) [Derek Donais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-donais/) > [“He was the devil. Calm, unfettered, and unaffected. Leading me down a sordid path.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-fox/he-was-the-devil-calm-unfettered-and-unaffected-leading-me-down-a/) [Ellie Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-fox/) > [If I let my brain follow its path unfettered, it would be kinda ugly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-epstein/if-i-let-my-brain-follow-its-path-unfettered-it-would-be-kinda-ugly/) [Theo Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-epstein/) > [Love itself is not an act of will, but sometimes I need the force of my volition to break with my habitual responses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/love-itself-is-not-an-act-of-will-but-sometimes-i-need-the-force-of/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [The man of wisdom is devoid of ego even though he may appear to use it. His vacant or fasting mind is neither doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-s-balsekar/the-man-of-wisdom-is-devoid-of-ego-even-though-he-may-appear-to-use/) [Ramesh S Balsekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-s-balsekar/) ## 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 Caprice quotes > [In the indications of female poverty there can be no disguise. No woman dresses below herself from caprice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/in-the-indications-of-female-poverty-there-can-be-no-disguise-no/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the fates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/talent-and-intelligence-never-yet-inoculated-anyone-against-the/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [Our fascination with weather: its caprices and changes as an antidote to the eternal repetition of daily life; a helpful illusion of novelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derren-brown/our-fascination-with-weather-its-caprices-and-changes-as-an-antidote/) [Derren Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derren-brown/) > [I see nothing quite conclusive in the art of temporal government, But violence, duplicity and frequent malversation. King rules or barons rule: The strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/i-see-nothing-quite-conclusive-in-the-art-of-temporal-government-but/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) > [A caprice is handled like a stew, and the pepper is added at the last minute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachilde/a-caprice-is-handled-like-a-stew-and-the-pepper-is-added-at-the-last/) [Rachilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachilde/) > [When faced with demanding situations, can you keep your heart as light as a feather? Can you laugh your way through challenges and maintain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/when-faced-with-demanding-situations-can-you-keep-your-heart-as-light/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Travel is a caprice in childhood, a passion in youth, a necessity in manhood, and an elegy in old age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-rizal/travel-is-a-caprice-in-childhood-a-passion-in-youth-a-necessity-in/) [Jose Rizal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-rizal/) > [Broken lines do not know what they want. With their caprices they cut time up, abuse routes, slash the joyous flowers and split the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-crevel/broken-lines-do-not-know-what-they-want-with-their-caprices-they-cut/) [Rene Crevel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-crevel/) > [Dame Edna is that rarest sighting in our time of the absolute comic, an inspired personification of caprice whose comedy answered the primal call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/dame-edna-is-that-rarest-sighting-in-our-time-of-the-absolute-comic/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [The great merit of gold is precisely that it is scarce; that its quantity is limited by nature; that it is costly to discover,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/the-great-merit-of-gold-is-precisely-that-it-is-scarce-that-its/) [Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/) > [Caprice, independence and rebellion, which are opposed to the social order, are essential to the good health of an ethnic group. We shall measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/caprice-independence-and-rebellion-which-are-opposed-to-the-social/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) > [Caprice in women often infringes upon the rules of decency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/caprice-in-women-often-infringes-upon-the-rules-of-decency/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I love you boosie baltimore m.d caprice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-boosie/i-love-you-boosie-baltimore-m-d-caprice/) [Lil Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-boosie/) > [Caprice is half man. There is something manly about her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bacon/caprice-is-half-man-there-is-something-manly-about-her/) [Richard Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bacon/) > [For the writer, the serial killer is, abstractly, an analogue of the imagination's caprices and amorality; the sense that, no matter the dictates and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/for-the-writer-the-serial-killer-is-abstractly-an-analogue-of-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Browse all 110 Caprice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caprice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One's own free and unfettered volition, one's own caprice, however wild, one's own fancy, inflamed sometimes to the point of madness - that is the one best and greatest good, which is never taken into consideration because it cannot fit into any classification and the omission of which sends all systems and theories to the devil.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fyodor Dostoevsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-one-s-own-caprice-however-wild/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Caprice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-one-s-own-caprice-however-wild/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_caprice_one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-o_618938.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_caprice_one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-o_618938.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_caprice_one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-o_618938.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One's own free and unfettered volition, one's own caprice, however wild, one's own fancy, inflamed sometimes…” — Fyodor Dostoevsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Fyodor Dostoevsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One's own free and unfettered volition,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-one-s-own-caprice-however-wild/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/one-s-own-free-and-unfettered-volition-one-s-own-caprice-however-wild/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```