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
He felt that he was himself and did not wish to be anyone else. He only wished now to be better than he had been formerly
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and personal growth over the desire to be someone else.
In this quote, Leo Tolstoy expresses a profound reflection on individuality and self-improvement. Rather than aspiring to imitate others or envy their qualities, he underlines the value of recognizing one's own identity and striving to enhance one's abilities and character from within. The essence lies in the journey of becoming a better version of oneself, encouraging individuals to focus on personal growth rather than external comparisons.
Themes
Self-AcceptancePersonal GrowthIdentityImprovementWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a self-improvement seminar to inspire attendees to embrace their individuality.
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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 β such is my idea of happiness.
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