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A poet must be a psychologist, but a secret one: he should know and feel the roots of phenomena but present only the phenomena themselves in full bloom or as they fade away.

Ivan Turgenev

Present

People without firmness of character love to make up a fate for themselves; that relieves them of the necessity of having their own will and of taking responsibility for themselves.

One may speak about anything on earth with fire, with enthusiasm, with ecstasy, but one only speaks about oneself with avidity.

Death's an old joke, but each individual encounters it anew.

Ivan Turgenev

Death

Old

However much you knock at nature's door, she will never answer you in comprehensible words.

I agree with no one's opinion. I have some of my own.

Ivan Turgenev

Opinion

In days of doubt, in days of dreary musings on my country's fate, you alone are my comfort and support, oh great, powerful, righteous, and free Russian language!

In the end, nature is inexorable: it has no reason to hurry and, sooner or later, it takes what belongs to it. Unconsciously and inflexibly obedient to its own laws, it doesn't know art, just as it doesn't know freedom, just as it doesn't know goodness.

Most people can't understand how others can blow their noses differently than they do.

Ivan Turgenev

People

Noses

Circumstances define us; they force us onto one road or another, and then they punish us for it.

Women... can't live with 'em... can't shoot 'em.

Ivan Turgenev

Women

The word tomorrow was invented for indecisive people and for children.

There are some moments in life, some feelings; one can only point to them and pass by.

Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes crawls like a snail; but a man is happiest when he does not even notice whether it passes swiftly or slowly.

Time, as is well known, sometimes flies like a bird and sometimes crawls like a worm, but human beings are generally particularly happy when they don't notice whether it's passing quickly or slowly.

Ivan Turgenev

Time

Flies