Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him – this was one of the statements by Fyodor Dostoevsky found in on of his books called The Brothers Karamazov. Published in 1880, the Brothers Karamazov is Dostoevsky’s last novel. It is considered the author’s greatest work which examines deeply the most complex and crucial philosophical questions of human existence. The story addresses various issues such as the problem of free will(dilemma of determinism), moral responsibility, as well as the conflict between faith and doubt.
The quote in question is a meaningful expression that emphasizes the value of honesty to one`s self. The author states that being true to oneself is the path to virtue. When a person consistently lies to themselves, they experience a state of delusion which distorts their view of everything around them. An individual who is honest and truly aware of their shortcomings can step on the path to self-improvement.
On the contrary, someone who is living happily in their own faulty assumptions will never be able to start working on themselves and therefore can never be truly aware of the world around them.
Who Was Dostoevsky?
Dostoevsky, in full Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, is a Russian novelist, short story writer and journalist. Through his literary work, he penetrated deep into the dark parts of the human psyche and greatly influenced twentieth-century fiction. His works explores the human condition in the troubled atmosphere of nineteenth-century Russia. Among his most notable novels are Crime and Punishment, Demons, and The Brothers Karamazov.
In his childhood, Dostoevsky was exposed to literature through legends and fairy tales. During the early years of his life, he was introduced to the literary works of Russian as well as foreign authors. After graduating as a military engineer, he spent some time translating books. Later in the mid-1840s, he published his first novel Poor Folk.
Owing to his association with a literary group that discussed banned books, he was arrested in 1849. He spent 4 years imprisoned in Siberia. This turn of events resulted in him traveling across Europe and getting addicted to gambling. Indulgence in gambling put him into severe financial hardships forcing him to beg for money on the streets. Fortunately, these times didn’t last forever and eventually he became known as one of the most influential and widely read Russian writers.
What is The Meaning of The Quote?
Lying is something that is considered a bad habit that can bring unfortunate consequences if one persists at it. However, the gravity of lying intensifies when we develop the practice of lying to ourselves. This state of self-deception enables a person indulge in amoral behaviour by rationalizing their unethical decisions. When someone becomes accustomed to lying to themselves, they no longer care about others or take the accountability for their actions.
Anyone who falls into a habit of lying to themselves eventually becomes deranged and delusional. They are always looking out for ways to rationalize their own lies no matter how far they are from reality. This state of denying the truth entices them to live in their own bubble until one unfortunate day when they go too far and face dire consequences.
Just as we are taught from a very young age to not tell lies to others, so we must come back to rediscover this valuable advice. Since there`s no way we can be honest to others while being deceitful to ourselves.
Dostoevsky’s views on lying
When we look at some of the works authored by Dostoevsky, we find a strong emphasis on integrity and honesty. The author mentions various consequences of lying to oneself. He states that anyone who cannot be truthful can neither respect themselves or others. As a result such an individual fails to get love from or create any kind of relationship with others, and as a result, they start to fall into a destructive pattern of living.
The most offensive is not their lying—one can always forgive lying—lying is a delightful thing, for it leads to truth—what is offensive is that they lie and worship their own lying.
Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment)
Consequences of lying
We know a great deal of benefits which comes with lying. If its lying to others and done right, it can get us out of trouble, sometimes it might not even be that bad to lie. For example, if you are looking for another job during working hours, and your boss asks you what you are doing, the last thing you going to say is, “I am looking for another job”.
However, eventually lying can become a habit, and if you catch yourself lying all the time or even worse lying to yourself, you may be on slippery slope towards destroying your life.
Here are some of the likely consequences of lying if taken too far:
- Lack of relationships
- Self Denial
- Legal Consequences
The habit of lying can destroy our relationships and makes it hard (even impossible) for people to trust us. It is only natural that when we can’t trust someone we are unable to respect them. This can affect our relationships with others be it in our homes or at workplace. Eventually one starts to feel abandoned and rejected. Hence, to maintain healthy relationships it is necessary that we’re honest to ourselves and to others around us.
Someone who is in a habit of lying to themselves can never see their shortcomings and cannot work towards self-improvement. Their worldview usually revolves around them being being convinced they are right. In a world where ignorance is considered bliss, we have to remind ourselves of the evil consequences.
Usually lying does not have legal consequences, but in certain situations and lying to the wrong people can get you in a lot of trouble. Lying to border control for example is never a good idea, lying to a police officer especially during an interrogation is even worse since they will use all of those lies against you in court. If you ever find yourself in trouble with the government its best to keep your mouth shut altogether and get a lawyer immediately.