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
The possibility of killing one's self is a safety valve. Having it, man has no right to say life is unbearable.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that the option of ending one's own life provides a sense of safety and control over one's existence.
In this quote, Leo Tolstoy expresses the idea that the mere possibility of suicide serves as a 'safety valve' for individuals facing unbearable situations. This option gives people a sense of autonomy and eliminates absolute despair, implying that one cannot claim life is entirely intolerable while maintaining the option to escape from it completely. It suggests that acknowledging this possibility gives individuals a measure of strength and control over their circumstances.
Themes
SuicideControlLifeDespairAutonomy
In practice
Example use cases
In a mental health seminar discussing coping mechanisms, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of recognizing choices.
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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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