Quote of the day by Fyodor Dostoevsky: “It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently”

“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently”

Explanation: The quote has been borrowed from the author’s most celebrated work Crime and Punishment.

In the novel, the protagonist uses this quote to describe another man who is endowed with an extraordinary brain power but who lacks humility. He is proud to have a nice head over his shoulders but his intelligence is of little to no use to others.

It implies that intelligence is just a tool and not a virtue in itself. If used with discernment and empathy, it becomes wisdom and if used without conscience, it can make people act foolishly or in a destructive manner.

Intelligence is attributed to logical thinking or finding solutions to a problem. However, logic alone cannot decide one’s course of action unless it is accompanied with a deeper understanding of the situation.

In other words, the knowledge on how to do something is not enough but when and why it should be done is what makes a person truly intelligent.

About the author: Fyodor Dostoevsky (born 1821) was a Russian novelist and short story writer whose deep dive into the psychology of the human mind had a monumental impact on the fiction of the 20th century and later.

His personal life was marked by tragic events, including mock execution, imprisonment in Siberia and illness. 

He is well known for his predictions on how Russian revolutionaries would behave if they came in power.

Among the literary figures of all times, he is known as the best psychologist who could describe the states of mind with utmost precision.

Having spent time in prison and facing the fear of execution (as he was a part of a rebel group trying to top off the establishment), Dostoevsky could deeply understand darker themes of life like guilt, grief, and fear of death.

His most celebrated works are Notes from the Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Possessed and The Brothers Karamazov.