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
She was in that highly-wrought state when the reasoning powers act with great rapidity: the state a man is in before a battle or a struggle, in danger, and at the decisive moments of life - those moments when a man shows once and for all what he is worth, that his past was not lived in vain but was a preparation for these moments.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on critical moments in life where a person's true worth is revealed, shaped by their experiences.
In this quote, Tolstoy suggests that there are pivotal moments in life, often filled with tension and urgency, where an individual's character is put to the test. These are the instances that define one’s existence, demonstrating that past experiences and struggles are not in vain but rather serve as preparation for facing significant challenges, ultimately revealing one's true self and value.
Themes
LifeCharacterStruggleWorthMomentsPreparation
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to inspire students about the importance of facing challenges.
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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 — such is my idea of happiness.
Leo TolstoyRead
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