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
But I'm glad you'll see me as I am. Above all, I wouldn't want people to think that I want to prove anything. I don't want to prove anything, I just want to live; to cause no evil to anyone but myself. I have that right, haven't I?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the desire for authenticity and the right to live without the pressure of proving oneself to others.
In this quote, Leo Tolstoy emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself rather than seeking validation or approval from others. He conveys a sense of personal freedom, highlighting that it is acceptable to prioritize one's own existence and well-being above societal expectations. Tolstoy suggests that the only obligation is to avoid causing harm to others, reinforcing the notion that each individual has the right to live authentically without feeling the need to justify their existence.
Themes
AuthenticitySelfFreedomExistenceRightTruth
In practice
Example use cases
During a personal development seminar, one might refer to this quote to encourage participants to embrace their true selves.
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!
Leo TolstoyRead
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.
Leo TolstoyRead
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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