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
Every lie is a poison; there are no harmless lies. Only the truth is safe. Only the truth gives me consolation - it is the one unbreakable diamond.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Lies, even small ones, are harmful and only truth provides solace and strength.
In this quote, Leo Tolstoy emphasizes the destructive nature of lies, highlighting that there is no such thing as a harmless falsehood. He suggests that only the truth is reliable and valuable, equating it to a precious diamond that withstands the test of time and offers true comfort, contrasting it sharply with the dangerous nature of deceit.
Themes
TruthLiesPhilosophyIntegrityConsolation
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethics, this quote can highlight the importance of honesty.
More from Leo Tolstoy
All quotes βPierre looked into the sky, into the depths of the retreating, twinkling stars. "And all this is mine, and all this is in me, and all this is me!" thought Pierre. "And all this they've caught and put in a shed and boarded it up!
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People try to do all sorts of clever and difficult things to improve life instead of doing the simplest, easiest thing-refusing to participate in activities that make life bad.
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It's too easy to criticize a man when he's out of favour, and to make him shoulder the blame for everybody else's mistakes.
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Music is the shorthand of emotion. Emotions, which let themselves be described in words with such difficulty, are directly conveyed to man in music, and in that is its power and significance.
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A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor β such is my idea of happiness.
Leo TolstoyRead
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