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In spite the mountains of books written about art, no precise definition of art has been constructed. And the reason for this is that the conception of art has been based on the conception of beauty.
Leo Tolstoy -
He knew she was there by the joy and fear that overwhelmed his heart.
Leo Tolstoy
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The only absolute knowledge attainable by man is that life is meaningless.
Leo Tolstoy -
All state obligations are against the conscience of a Christian: the oath of allegiance, taxes, law proceedings and military service.
Leo Tolstoy -
As soon as men live entirely in accord with the law of love natural to their hearts and now revealed to them, which excludes all resistance by violence, and therefore hold aloof from all participation in violence - as soon as this happens, not only will hundreds be unable to enslave millions, but not even millions will be able to enslave a single individual.
Leo Tolstoy -
Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly. It is the one thing we are interested in here.
Leo Tolstoy -
Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait.
Leo Tolstoy -
When a person is haughty, he distances himself from other people and thereby deprives himself of one of life’s biggest pleasures-open, joyful communication with everyone.
Leo Tolstoy
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In the spiritual realm nothing is indifferent: what is not useful is harmful.
Leo Tolstoy -
A king is history's slave.
Leo Tolstoy -
You will die - and it will all be over. You will die and find out everything - or cease asking.
Leo Tolstoy -
The truth is that the State is a conspiracy designed not only to exploit, but above all to corrupt its citizens … Henceforth, I shall never serve any government anywhere.
Leo Tolstoy -
There can be only one permanent revolution - a moral one; the regeneration of the inner man. How is this revolution to take place? Nobody knows how it will take place in humanity, but every man feels it clearly in himself. And yet in our world everybody thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself.
Leo Tolstoy -
All violence consists in some people forcing others, under threat of suffering or death, to do what they do not want to do.
Leo Tolstoy
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The only thing that we know is that we know nothing - and that is the highest flight of human wisdom.
Leo Tolstoy -
If one has no vanity in this life of ours, there is no sufficient reason for living.
Leo Tolstoy -
If a poor person envies a rich person, he is no better than the rich person.
Leo Tolstoy -
By words one transmits thoughts to another, by means of art, one transmits feelings.
Leo Tolstoy -
An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person’s main task in life-becoming a better person.
Leo Tolstoy -
He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.
Leo Tolstoy
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We cannot pretend that we do not see the armed policeman who marches up and down beneath our window to guarantee our security while we eat our luxurious dinner, or look at the new piece at the theater, or that we are unaware of the existence of the soldiers who will make their appearance with guns and cartridges directly our property is attacked.
Leo Tolstoy -
Error is the force that welds men together; truth is communicated to men only by deeds of truth.
Leo Tolstoy -
Genuine religion is not about speculating about God or the soul or about what happened in the past or will happen in the future; it cares only about one thing-finding out exactly what should or should not be done in this lifetime.
Leo Tolstoy -
The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God; and this can be done only by means of the acknowledgment and profession of the truth by each one of us.
Leo Tolstoy