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
Power is the sum total of the wills of the mass, transfered by express or tactic agreement to rulers chosen by the masses.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Power derives from the collective will of the people, given to their chosen leaders through agreement.
This quote by Leo Tolstoy emphasizes the idea that power does not reside inherently within rulers but is instead a construct that arises from the collective will of the people. It suggests that authority is granted to leaders through either explicit or implicit consent from the masses, highlighting the importance of democratic principles and collective agency in governance.
Themes
PowerCollective WillAuthorityLeadersGovernance
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate, one might quote Tolstoy to emphasize the importance of democratic consent.
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.
Leo TolstoyRead
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.
Leo TolstoyRead
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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