He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others. Leo Tolstoy More Quotes by Leo Tolstoy More Quotes From Leo Tolstoy What is now happening to the people of the East as of the West is like what happens to every individual when he passes from childhood to adolescence and from youth to manhood. He loses what had hitherto guided his life and lives without direction, not having found a new standard suitable to his age, and so he invents all sorts of occupations, cares, distractions, and stupefactions to divert his attention from the misery and senselessness of his life. Such a condition may last a long time. Leo Tolstoy childhood long people One is ashamed to say how little is needed for all men to be delivered from those calamities which now oppress them; it is only needful not to lie. Leo Tolstoy littles men lying The most important person is the one you are with in this moment. Leo Tolstoy moments important persons The question of how things will settle down is the only important question. Leo Tolstoy settling-down settling important When ignorance does not know something, it says that what it does not know is stupid. Leo Tolstoy ignorance stupid doe If there existed no external means for dimming their consciences, one-half of the men would at once shoot themselves, because to live contrary to one's reason is a most intolerable state, and all men of our time are in such a state. Leo Tolstoy half men mean Religion reveals the meaning of life, and science only applies this meaning to the course of circumstances. Leo Tolstoy science-and-religion meaning-of-life circumstances People are always happy where there is love, because their happiness in in themselves. Leo Tolstoy love-is happiness people The activity of art is... as important as the activity of language itself, and as universal. Leo Tolstoy language important art The essence of any religion lies solely in the answer to the question: why do I exist, and what is my relationship to the infinite universe that surrounds me? Leo Tolstoy essence answers lying At the approach of danger two voices speak with equal force in the heart of man: one very reasonably tells the man to consider the nature of the danger and the means of avoiding it and the other, even more reasonable, says that it is too painful and harassing to think of the danger... better to turn aside from the painful subject till it has come, and to think of what is pleasant. In solitude a man generally yields to the first voice; in society to the second. Leo Tolstoy heart men mean In order to know what he is, a man must first know what the sum of this mysterious humanity is, a humanity made up of people who, like himself, do not understand what they are. Leo Tolstoy men order people In spite the mountains of books written about art, no precise definition of art has been constructed. And the reason for this is that the conception of art has been based on the conception of beauty. Leo Tolstoy mountain book art We must not only cease our present desire for the growth of the state, but we must desire its decrease, its weakening. Leo Tolstoy growth war peace Then we should find some artificial inoculation against love, as with smallpox. Leo Tolstoy smallpox artificial should Error is the force that welds men together; truth is communicated to men only by deeds of truth. Leo Tolstoy errors together men Through the influence of real art, aided by science, guided by religion... peaceful co-operation of man is now obtained by external means - by law courts, police, charitable institutions, factory inspections... It should be obtained by man's free and joyous activity. Leo Tolstoy real mean art The life of our class, of the wealthy and the learned, was not only repulsive to me but had lost all meaning. The sum of our action and thinking, of our science and art, all of it struck me as the overindulgences of a spoiled child. Leo Tolstoy children art thinking If we would only testify to the truth as we see it, it would turn out that there are hundreds, thousands, even millions of other people just as we are, who see the truth as we do...and are only waiting, again as we are, for someone to proclaim it. The Kingdom of God is within you. Leo Tolstoy waiting inspirational people I began to realize that the most profound wisdom of man was rooted in the answers given by faith and that I did not have the right to deny them on the grounds of reason; above all, I realized that these answers alone can form a reply to the question of life. Leo Tolstoy answers men profound
