“It is better to be unhappy and know the worst, than to be happy in a fool's paradise.”
— Fyodor Dostoevsky
Simplified Meaning:
It's better to face the truth, even if it makes you sad, than to live in a false sense of happiness based on lies. Imagine you have a friend who always says nice things to you, but you find out they're talking badly behind your back. At first, it might hurt to know the truth, but in the long run, it's better to understand how they truly feel so you can make better decisions about your friendship. On the other hand, if you never find out the truth, you might continue being happy around them, but that happiness isn't real. This idea helps us understand that true happiness comes from knowing and dealing with reality, rather than living in deception. To apply this, always seek the truth in your relationships, work, and life, even if it's hard to hear, because only then can you address problems and build genuine happiness.