Variants of such a statement have also been attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Nietzsche, but the only definite source found for any is in Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra: "Distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful!"
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Trust no one in whom the desire to punish is strong
— Fyodor Dostoyevsky
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Trust no one in whom the desire to punish is strong" in the context of "Variants of such a statement have also been attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Nietzsche, but the only definite source found for any is in Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra: "Distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful!"" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Fyodor Dostoyevsky" (Misattributed)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevsky Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский (11 November 1821 - 9 February 1881) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and journalist. Dostoevsky's literary works explore the human condition in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century Russia, and engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. Many literary critics rate him as one of the greatest novelists in all of world literature, as multiple of his works are considered highly influential masterpieces.
About Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevsky Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский (11 November 1821 - 9 February 1881) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and journalist. Dostoevsky's literary works explore the human condition in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century Russia, and engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. Many literary critics rate him as one of the greatest novelists in all of world literature, as multiple of his works are considered highly influential masterpieces.
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