Art begins when a man, with a purpose of communicating to other people a feeling he once experienced, calls it up again within himself and expresses it by certain external signs.
Leo TolstoyRead
Then we should find some artificial inoculation against love, as with smallpox.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that love can be harmful and that we might need a way to protect ourselves from its pains.
In this quote, Tolstoy compares love to a disease, proposing the idea that just as we create vaccines to protect ourselves from smallpox, we should also find a way to shield ourselves from the emotional turmoil that love can bring. This reflects the complex nature of love, where its potential for joy is often accompanied by suffering, highlighting the human desire to avoid heartbreak and longing.
Themes
LoveInoculationProtectionEmotionSuffering
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the pains of romantic relationships.
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