“I have this moment when, almost in despair, I throw myself at the paper, wanting to cast handfuls of my soul upon people and transform them into myself.”

Original: a mam tę chwilę, że niby z jakąś rozpaczą rzucam się do papieru, chcąc garściami duszę moją rzucać na ludzi, przemieniać ich w siebie — Writing becomes an almost physical act of pouring the self into other people. · Letter to his mother, 28 November 1843 (Polish)

• Creation
• Expression
• Writing

“Why should we be sad? Why should we doubt? I shall write about this sadness and doubt at length one day, sternly and fiercely.”

Original: Kwiatków ma pełno w domu, i dzieciątek mu Bóg nasyła — czegóż on się smuci? dla czego wątpi? O tym smutku i zwątpieniu będę długo kiedyś pisał srogo i groźnie. — He treats habitual melancholy and doubt as states to be resisted rather than passively accepted. · Letter to his mother, 1 January 1845 (Polish)

• Courage
• Doubt
• Hope

“I have many acquaintances now, but not a single pleasant one, not one with whom it would be agreeable to live.”

Original: Wiele mam teraz znajomych, ale żadnego miłego, żadnego, z którym by mi było żyć przyjemnie. — He distinguishes between having company and finding genuine companionship. · Letter to his mother, December 1831 (Polish)

• Companionship
• Friendship
• Loneliness