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Leo Tolstoy Quotes

Writer

Leo Tolstoy is celebrated as one of literature’s greatest minds, whose works explore the depths of human experience, morality, and society. His writing combines profound philosophical insight with keen observations of everyday life, revealing timeless truths about love, faith, and the human condition. The following quotes capture his wisdom, introspection, and the enduring relevance of his literary legacy.
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They ought to find out how to vaccinate for love, like smallpox.
From Anna Karenina
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Man can be master of nothing while he fears death, but he who does not fear it possesses all. If there were no suffering, man would not know his limitations, would not know himself. The hardest thing is to be able in your soul to unite the meaning of all. To unite all? Pierre asked himself. "No, not to unite. Thoughts cannot be united, but to harness all these thoughts together is what we need! Yes, one must harness them, must harness them!
From War and Peace
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The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. …so remember: great achievements take time; there is no overnight success.
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In the midst of winter, I find within me the invisible summer...
From The Kingdom of God Is Within You
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If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed.
From War and Peace
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Pierre was right when he said that one must believe in the possibility of happiness in order to be happy, and I now believe in it. Let the dead bury the dead, but while I'm alive, I must live and be happy.
From War and Peace
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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.
From War and Peace
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There are no conditions to which a person cannot grow accustomed, especially if he sees that everyone around him lives in the same way.
From Anna Karenina
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When you love someone, you love the person as they are, and not as you’d like them to be.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
A battle is won by him who is firmly resolved to win it.
From War and Peace
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In the best, the friendliest and simplest relations flattery or praise is necessary, just as grease is necessary to keep wheels turning.
From War and Peace
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Well, pray if you like, only you'd do better to use your judgment.
From War and Peace
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It never before happened that the rich ruling and more educated minority, which has the most influence on the masses, not only disbelieved the existing religion but was convinced that no religion is no longer needed.
From What Is Religion? And Other New Articles and Letters
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Everything ends in death, everything. Death is terrible.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
The best stories don't come from "good vs. bad" but "good vs. good.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
God forgive me everything!’ she said, feeling the impossibility of struggling...
From Anna Karenina
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In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.
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When a man sees a dying animal, horror comes over him: that which he himself is, his essence, is obviously being annihilated before his eyes--is ceasing to be. But when the dying one is a person, and a beloved person, then, besides a sense of horror at the annihilation of life, there is a feeling of severance and a spiritual wound which, like a physical wound, sometimes kills and sometimes heals, but always hurts and fears any external, irritating touch.
From War and Peace
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It's as if I had been going downhill when I thought I was going uphill. That's how it was. In society's opinion I was heading uphill, but in equal measure life was slipping away from me... And now it's all over. Nothing left but to die!"

"So what's it all about? What's it for? It's not possible. It's not possible that life could have been as senseless and sickening as this. And if it has really been as sickening and senseless as this why do I have to die, and die in agony? There's something wrong. Maybe I didn't live as I should have done?" came the sudden thought. "But how can that be when I did everything properly?" he wondered, instantly dismissing as a total impossibility the one and only solution to the mystery of life and death.
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If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Life did not stop, and one had to live.
From War and Peace
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I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt it in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.
From Семейное счастие
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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 — such is my idea of happiness.
From Семейное счастие
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
They ought to find out how to vaccinate for love, like smallpox.
From Anna Karenina
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Man can be master of nothing while he fears death, but he who does not fear it possesses all. If there were no suffering, man would not know his limitations, would not know himself. The hardest thing is to be able in your soul to unite the meaning of all. To unite all? Pierre asked himself. "No, not to unite. Thoughts cannot be united, but to harness all these thoughts together is what we need! Yes, one must harness them, must harness them!
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. …so remember: great achievements take time; there is no overnight success.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
In the midst of winter, I find within me the invisible summer...
From The Kingdom of God Is Within You
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Pierre was right when he said that one must believe in the possibility of happiness in order to be happy, and I now believe in it. Let the dead bury the dead, but while I'm alive, I must live and be happy.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
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.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
There are no conditions to which a person cannot grow accustomed, especially if he sees that everyone around him lives in the same way.
From Anna Karenina
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
When you love someone, you love the person as they are, and not as you’d like them to be.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
A battle is won by him who is firmly resolved to win it.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
In the best, the friendliest and simplest relations flattery or praise is necessary, just as grease is necessary to keep wheels turning.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Well, pray if you like, only you'd do better to use your judgment.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
It never before happened that the rich ruling and more educated minority, which has the most influence on the masses, not only disbelieved the existing religion but was convinced that no religion is no longer needed.
From What Is Religion? And Other New Articles and Letters
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Everything ends in death, everything. Death is terrible.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
The best stories don't come from "good vs. bad" but "good vs. good.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
God forgive me everything!’ she said, feeling the impossibility of struggling...
From Anna Karenina
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
When a man sees a dying animal, horror comes over him: that which he himself is, his essence, is obviously being annihilated before his eyes--is ceasing to be. But when the dying one is a person, and a beloved person, then, besides a sense of horror at the annihilation of life, there is a feeling of severance and a spiritual wound which, like a physical wound, sometimes kills and sometimes heals, but always hurts and fears any external, irritating touch.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
It's as if I had been going downhill when I thought I was going uphill. That's how it was. In society's opinion I was heading uphill, but in equal measure life was slipping away from me... And now it's all over. Nothing left but to die!"

"So what's it all about? What's it for? It's not possible. It's not possible that life could have been as senseless and sickening as this. And if it has really been as sickening and senseless as this why do I have to die, and die in agony? There's something wrong. Maybe I didn't live as I should have done?" came the sudden thought. "But how can that be when I did everything properly?" he wondered, instantly dismissing as a total impossibility the one and only solution to the mystery of life and death.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Life did not stop, and one had to live.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt it in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.
From Семейное счастие
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
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 — such is my idea of happiness.
From Семейное счастие
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
They ought to find out how to vaccinate for love, like smallpox.
From Anna Karenina
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Man can be master of nothing while he fears death, but he who does not fear it possesses all. If there were no suffering, man would not know his limitations, would not know himself. The hardest thing is to be able in your soul to unite the meaning of all. To unite all? Pierre asked himself. "No, not to unite. Thoughts cannot be united, but to harness all these thoughts together is what we need! Yes, one must harness them, must harness them!
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. …so remember: great achievements take time; there is no overnight success.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
In the midst of winter, I find within me the invisible summer...
From The Kingdom of God Is Within You
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Pierre was right when he said that one must believe in the possibility of happiness in order to be happy, and I now believe in it. Let the dead bury the dead, but while I'm alive, I must live and be happy.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
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.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
There are no conditions to which a person cannot grow accustomed, especially if he sees that everyone around him lives in the same way.
From Anna Karenina
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
When you love someone, you love the person as they are, and not as you’d like them to be.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
A battle is won by him who is firmly resolved to win it.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
In the best, the friendliest and simplest relations flattery or praise is necessary, just as grease is necessary to keep wheels turning.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Well, pray if you like, only you'd do better to use your judgment.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
It never before happened that the rich ruling and more educated minority, which has the most influence on the masses, not only disbelieved the existing religion but was convinced that no religion is no longer needed.
From What Is Religion? And Other New Articles and Letters
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Everything ends in death, everything. Death is terrible.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
The best stories don't come from "good vs. bad" but "good vs. good.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
God forgive me everything!’ she said, feeling the impossibility of struggling...
From Anna Karenina
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
When a man sees a dying animal, horror comes over him: that which he himself is, his essence, is obviously being annihilated before his eyes--is ceasing to be. But when the dying one is a person, and a beloved person, then, besides a sense of horror at the annihilation of life, there is a feeling of severance and a spiritual wound which, like a physical wound, sometimes kills and sometimes heals, but always hurts and fears any external, irritating touch.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
It's as if I had been going downhill when I thought I was going uphill. That's how it was. In society's opinion I was heading uphill, but in equal measure life was slipping away from me... And now it's all over. Nothing left but to die!"

"So what's it all about? What's it for? It's not possible. It's not possible that life could have been as senseless and sickening as this. And if it has really been as sickening and senseless as this why do I have to die, and die in agony? There's something wrong. Maybe I didn't live as I should have done?" came the sudden thought. "But how can that be when I did everything properly?" he wondered, instantly dismissing as a total impossibility the one and only solution to the mystery of life and death.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Life did not stop, and one had to live.
From War and Peace
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt it in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.
From Семейное счастие
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
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 — such is my idea of happiness.
From Семейное счастие
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
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