The greater the state, the more wrong and cruel its patriotism, and the greater is the sum of suffering upon which its power is founded. Leo Tolstoy More Quotes by Leo Tolstoy More Quotes From Leo Tolstoy To get rid of an enemy one must love him. Leo Tolstoy life-and-lovelove-youlove Power, from the standpoint of experience, is merely the relation that exists between the expression of someone's will and the execution of that will by others. Leo Tolstoy executionpowerexpression Often a man goes on for years imaging that the religious teaching that had been imparted to him since childhood is still intact, while all the time there is not a trace of it left in him. Leo Tolstoy teachingreligiousmen History would be an excellent thing if only it were true. Leo Tolstoy excellentifswould-be School is established, not in order that it should be convenient for the children to study, but that teachers should be able to teach in comfort. The children's conversations, motion, merriment are not convenient for the teacher, and so in the schools, which are built on the plan of prisons, are prohibited. Leo Tolstoy teacherchildrenschool The higher a man's conception of God, the better will he know Him. And the better he knows God, the nearer will he draw to Him. Leo Tolstoy knowing-goddrawsmen No one has yet added up all the heavy, stress-filled workdays as well as the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives that are wasted to produce the world's amusements. It is for this reason that "amusements" are not so amusing. Leo Tolstoy amusementstressworld Always the same. Now a spark of hope flashes up, then a sea of despair rages, and always pain; always pain, always despair, and always the same. Leo Tolstoy despairpainsea All the stories and descriptions of that time without exception peak only of the patriotism, self-sacrifice, despair, grief, and heroism of the Russians. But in reality it was not like that...The majority of the people paid no attention to the general course of events but were influenced only by their immediate personal interests. Leo Tolstoy sacrificegriefreality The workmen's revolution, with the terrors of destruction and murder, not only threatens us, but we have already been living upon its verge during the last thirty years, and it is only by various cunning devices that we have been postponing the crisis. The hatred and contempt of the oppressed people are increasing, and the physical and moral strength of the richer classes are decreasing: the deceit which supports all this is wearing out, and the rich classes have nothing wherewith to comfort themselves. Leo Tolstoy classpeopleyears Tell people that war is an evil, and they will laugh; for who does not know it? Tell them that patriotism is an evil, and most of them will agree, but with a reservation. "Yes," they will say, "wrong patriotism is an evil; but there is another kind, the kind we hold." But just what this good patriotism is, no one explains. Leo Tolstoy evilwarpeople It seems that it is impossible to live without discovering the purpose of your life. And the first thing which a person should do is to understand the meaning of life. But the majority of people who consider themselves to be educated are proud that they have reached such great height that they cease to care about the meaning of existence. Leo Tolstoy meaning-of-lifemajoritypeople He felt like a man who, after straining his eyes to peer into the remote distance, finds what he was seeking at his very feet. All his life he had been looking over the heads of those around him, while he had only to look before him without straining his eyes. p 1320 Leo Tolstoy distanceeyemen Government is violence, Christianity is meekness, non-resistance, love. And, therefore, government cannot be Christian, and a man who wishes to be a Christian must not serve government. Leo Tolstoy christianwishmen But men are now united in states; that work is done; why now maintain exclusive devotion to one's own state, when this produces terrible evils for all. Leo Tolstoy doneevilmen When one's head is gone one doesn't weep for one's hair! Leo Tolstoy gonehair When politics and home life have become one and the same thing, [...] then,[...] it is evident that we will be in a state of total liberty or anarchy. Leo Tolstoy anarchylibertyhome The role of the disappointed lover of a maiden or of any single woman might be ridiculous; but the role of a man who was pursuing a married woman, and who made it the purpose of his life at all cost to draw her into adultery, was one which had in it something beautiful and dignified and could never be ridiculous. Leo Tolstoy rolesbeautifulmen Enough or not...it will have to do Leo Tolstoy enough Happiness is an allegory, unhappiness a story. Leo Tolstoy allegoryunhappinessstories
