--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be astonished at everything, of…" description: "\"“To be astonished at everything, of course, is silly, while to be astonished at nothing is much more handsome, and for some reason is recognized as a g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_respect_to-be-astonished-at-everything-of-course_2031955.jpg" --- # To be astonished at everything, of course, is silly, while… ![“To be astonished at everything, of course, is silly, while to be astonished at nothing is much more handsome, and for some reason is recognized as a good form. But surely it's not like that in reality. In my opinion, it's much sillier to be astonished at nothing than to be astonished at…” quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_respect_to-be-astonished-at-everything-of-course_2031955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_respect_to-be-astonished-at-everything-of-course_2031955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_respect_to-be-astonished-at-everything-of-course_2031955.jpg) > ““To be astonished at everything, of course, is silly, while to be astonished at nothing is much more handsome, and for some reason is recognized as a good form. But surely it's not like that in reality. In my opinion, it's much sillier to be astonished at nothing than to be astonished at everything. And what's more: to be astonished at nothing is almost the same thing as to respect nothing. And a silly man is not capable of showing respect.”” [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being constantly amazed is naive; being unmoved is akin to disrespect, suggesting a balanced wonder is virtuous. **In simple terms:** Balanced wonder is virtuous; indifference equals disrespect. Key Takeaway Cultivate thoughtful curiosity without apathy. Themes philosophy ethics human nature wonder Mood thoughtful philosophical Type literary reflective When to use this quote - education - personal development - art criticism Key Concepts existentialism respect meaning Questions to Reflect On - How does wonder shape moral respect? - When does indifference become harmful? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex emotional states. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astonished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished/) [Astonished Astonished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished-astonished-3346759/) [Astonished Course](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished-course-3737565/) [Astonished Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished-thing-1796668/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Showing Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/showing-respect/) [Silly Astonished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly-astonished-3737564/) [Silly man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly-man/) ## Related quotes > [A day will come when a cannon will be exhibited in museums, just as instruments of torture are now, and the people will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/a-day-will-come-when-a-cannon-will-be-exhibited-in-museums-just-as/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [You must not pity me because my sixtieth year finds me still astonished. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Mr. Collins is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man; you know he is, as well as I do; and you must feel, as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/mr-collins-is-a-conceited-pompous-narrow-minded-silly-man-you-know-he/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [ “He \[Edward Snowden\] has been careful with his info, doling it out to responsible news organizations — The Post, the New York Times, the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cohen/he-edward-snowden-has-been-careful-with-his-info-doling-it-out-to/) [Richard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cohen/) > [“Silly man, doesn’t he know money is imaginary?” It’s paper that turns into numbers on screens, after all. It’s there, then it’s gone. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/silly-man-doesn-t-he-know-money-is-imaginary-it-s-paper-that-turns/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [I'd like to say I'm a very silly man. But I'm not that silly. I'm not throwing any diamond ring down a toilet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-clarke/i-d-like-to-say-i-m-a-very-silly-man-but-i-m-not-that-silly-i-m-not/) [Michael Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-clarke/) > [“History remembers Mussolini as the buffoonish Fascist, the ineffective silly man of Italy who led a lame military campaign in the Second World War,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/history-remembers-mussolini-as-the-buffoonish-fascist-the-ineffective/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) ## More by Fyodor Dostoyevsky > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. 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The inability of force to create anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/do-you-know-what-astonished-me-the-most-in-this-world-the-inability/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The amazing heroic women in labor, they are the truest inspiration, and when they push their babies into the light... I am astonished every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lim/the-amazing-heroic-women-in-labor-they-are-the-truest-inspiration-and/) [Robin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lim/) [Browse all 104 Astonished quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To be astonished at everything, of course, is silly, while to be astonished at nothing is much more handsome, and for some reason is recognized as a good form. But surely it's not like that in reality. 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