Famous Quotes by Count Leo Tolstoy (37 Quotations)

Man lives consciously for himself, but is an unconscious instrument in the attainment of the historic, universal, aims of humanity.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Humankind]

Music is the shorthand of emotion.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Music]

Only those live who do good.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Life and Living]

The best generals I have known were… stupid or absent-minded men. Not only does a good army commander not need any special qualities, on the contrary he needs the absence of the highest and best human attributes — love, poetry, tenderness, and philosophic inquiring doubt. He should be limited, firmly convinced that what he is doing is very important (otherwise he will not have sufficient patience), and only then will he be a brave leader. God forbid that he should be humane, should love, or pity, or think of what is just and unjust.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Generals]

The Brahmins say that in their books there are many predictions of times in which it will rain. But press those books as strongly as you can, you can not get out of them a drop of water. So you can not get out of all the books that contain the best precepts the smallest good deed.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Books and Reading]

The changes in our life must come from the impossibility to live otherwise than according to the demands of our conscience not from our mental resolution to try a new form of life.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Change]

The chief difference between words and deeds is that words are always intended for men for their approbation, but deeds can be done only for God.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Action]

The only thing that we know is that we know nothing and that is the highest flight of human wisdom.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Wisdom]

The sobs and tears of joy he had not foreseen rose with such force within him that his whole body shook and for a long time prevented him from speaking. Falling on his knees by her bed. He held his wife's hand to his lips and kissed it, and her hand responded to his kisses with weak movement of finger. Meanwhile, at the foot of the bed, in the midwife's expert hands, like the flame of a lamp, flickered the life of a human being who had never existed before…

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Kisses and Kissing]

There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness and truth.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Greatness]

There is only one time that is important — NOW! It is the most important time because it is the only time hat we have any power.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Present]

Though it is possible to utter words only with the intention to fulfill the will of God, it is very difficult not to think about the impression which they will produce on men and not to form them accordingly. But deeds you can do quite unknown to men, only for God. And such deeds are the greatest joy that a man can experience.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Deeds and Good Deeds]

To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind of food that it is very good but that most people can't eat it.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Arts and Artists]

True life is lived when tiny changes occur.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Change]

True science investigates and brings to human perception such truths and such knowledge as the people of a given time and society consider most important. Art transmits these truths from the region of perception to the region of emotion.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Science and Scientists]

We lost because we told ourselves we lost.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Attitude]

Without knowing what I am and why I am here, life is impossible.

Count Leo Tolstoy – [Purpose]