Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy; 9 September 1828 – 20 November 1910), usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time...
NationalityRussian
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth28 August 1828
CountryRussian Federation
truth lying giving
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.
giving-up achievement remember
...so remember: great achievements take time, there is no overnight success.
two people critics
In a writer there must always be two people - the writer and the critic.
life beauty beautiful
It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.
son men feelings
The feeling of patriotism - It is an immoral feeling because, instead of confessing himself a son of God . . . or even a free man guided by his own reason, each man under the influence of patriotism confesses himself the son of his fatherland and the slave of his government, and commits actions contrary to his reason and conscience.
mistake thinking order
I think that in order to know love one must make a mistake and then correct it.
art real separation
"A real work of art destroys, in the consciousness of the receiver, the separation between himself and the artist."
law reason loving-others
But the law of loving others could not be discovered by reason, because it is unreasonable.
believe two people
There are two Gods, there is the God that people generally believe in - a God who has to serve them. This God does not exist. But the God whom people forget - the God whom we all have to serve - exists, and is the prime cause of our existence and of all that we perceive.
patience two waiting
everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait . . . there is nothing stronger than these two: patience and time, they will do it all.
gestures forget one-word
Not one word, not one gesture of yours shall I, could I, ever forget...
successful desire overcoming
Himmlisch ist's wenn ich bezwungen Meine irdische Begier; Aber doch wenn's nich gelungen Hatt' ich auch recht huebsch Plaisir! Loosely translated: It is heavenly, when I overcome My earthly desires But nevertheless, when I'm not successful, It can also be quite pleasurable.
writing pieces flesh
One ought only to write when one leaves a piece of one's own flesh in the inkpot, each time one dips one's pen.
tragedy needs platonic-love
And those who only know the non-platonic love have no need to talk of tragedy. In such love there can be no sort of tragedy.