50 Quotes by Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short story writer who is considered one of the greatest writers in the history of Russian literature. Chekhov is best known for his plays, such as "The Seagull", "Uncle Vanya", and "The Cherry Orchard", which are noted for their subtle and realistic portrayals of human nature. Chekhov also wrote hundreds of short stories, many of which are considered masterpieces of the form. His works are noted for their deep psychological insight and their exploration of the complexities of human relationships. Chekhov died of tuberculosis in 1904 at the age of 44. (Bio)
Anton Chekhov Quotes
I'm in mourning for my life. (Quote Meaning)
To Moscow, to Moscow, to Moscow! (Meaning)
The sea has neither meaning nor pity. (Quote Meaning)
Even in Siberia there is happiness. (Meaning)
The world is, of course, nothing but our conception of it. (Quote Meaning)
Man will become better when you show him what he is like. (Meaning)
If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it. (Quote Meaning)
Brevity - the sister of talent. (Meaning)
A hungry dog believes in nothing but meat. (Quote Meaning)
If you are afraid of loneliness, do not marry. (Meaning)
Try to reason about love, and you will lose your reason. (Quote Meaning)
The more refined one is, the more unhappy. (Meaning)
No psychologist should pretend to understand what he does not understand... Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand nothing. (Quote Meaning)
When you're thirsty and it seems that you could drink the entire ocean—that's faith; when you start to drink and finish only a glass or two—that's science. (Meaning)
The university brings out all abilities, including incapability. (Quote Meaning)
If you want to work on your art, work on your life. (Meaning)
Money, like vodka, turns a person into an eccentric. (Quote Meaning)
We shall find peace. We shall hear angels. We shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds. (Meaning)
If you cry 'forward', you must without fail make plain in what direction to go. (Quote Meaning)
You must trust and believe in people, or life becomes impossible. (Meaning)
The world perishes not from bandits and fires, but from hatred, hostility, and all these petty squabbles. (Quote Meaning)
There is no national science just as there is no national multiplication table. (Meaning)
When a lot of remedies are suggested for a disease, that means it can't be cured. (Quote Meaning)
The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them. (Meaning)
Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress. (Quote Meaning)
Man is what he believes. (Meaning)
Brevity is the sister of talent. (Quote Meaning)
Everything on earth is beautiful, everything -- except what we ourselves think and do when we forget the higher purposes of life and our own human dignity. (Meaning)
Do silly things. Foolishness is a great deal more vital and healthy than our straining and striving after a meaningful life.
Love, friendship, respect, do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something. (Quote Meaning)
People should be beautiful in every way - in their faces, in the way they dress, in their thoughts, and in their innermost selves.
Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice. (Meaning)
There is nothing more awful, insulting, and depressing than banality.
Only during hard times do people come to understand how difficult it is to be master of their feelings and thoughts.
Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out. (Quote Meaning)
Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. (Meaning)
You will not become a saint through other people's sins.
What a fine weather today! Can’t choose whether to drink tea or to hang myself.
The task of a writer is not to solve the problem but to state the problem correctly.
He who doesn't know how to be a servant should never be allowed to be a master; the interests of public life are alien to anyone who is unable to enjoy others' successes, and such a person should never be entrusted with public affairs.
A good upbringing means not that you won't spill sauce on the tablecloth, but that you won't notice it when someone else does.
When a person is born, he can embark on only one of three roads of life: if you go right, the wolves will eat you; if you go left, you’ll eat the wolves; if you go straight, you’ll eat yourself. (Quote Meaning)
The illusion which exalts us is dearer to us than ten thousand truths. (Meaning)
Only entropy comes easy. (Meaning)
Life is given only once, and one wants to live it boldly, with full conscious and beauty.
My love is like a stone tied round my neck; it's dragging me down to the bottom; but I love my stone. I can't live without it.
I expect I shall be a student to the end of my days.
People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy. (Meaning)
Doctors are just the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you too. (Quote Meaning)
A woman can become a man's friend only in the following stages - first an acquantaince, next a mistress, and only then a friend.
For God's sake, have some self-respect and do not run off at the mouth if your brain is out to lunch.
All saints have past and all sinners have a future.
― Anton Chekhov Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
