“What I believe to be true I must therefore preserve. What seems to me so obvious, even against me, I must support.”

“What need had I of so many efforts? The soft lines of these hills and the hand of evening on this troubled heart teach me much more.”

“Not that one must be ananimal, but I find no meaning in the happiness of angels. I knowsimply that this sky will last longer than I. And what shall I calleternity except what will continue after my death?”

“The reasoning is classic in its clarity. If God does not exist, Kirilov is god. If God does not exist, Kirilov must kill himself. Kirilov must therefore kill himself to become god. That logic is absurd, but it is what is needed.”

“I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it can be murderous. What interests me is living and dying for what one loves.”

“Well, personally, I've seen enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned that it can be murderous. What interests me is living and dying for what one loves.”

“In short, for me to live happily it was essential for the creatures I chose not to live at all. They must receive their life, sporadically, only at my bidding.”