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
At school he had done things which had formerly seemed to him very horrid and made him feel disgusted with himself when he did them; but when later on he saw that such actions were done by people of good position and that they did not regard them as wrong, he was able not exactly to regard them as right, but to forget about them entirely or not be at all troubled at remembering them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the conflicting nature of morality and how societal influence can shape one's perception of right and wrong.
In this quote, Tolstoy illustrates the complex relationship between personal ethics and societal norms. While the character initially feels disgusted by certain behaviors, their perspective shifts upon observing others in respected positions engaging in the same actions without guilt. This captures a philosophical exploration of morality, suggesting that our understanding of right and wrong can become blurred through social context, leading to a dissociation from one's own moral judgments.
Themes
MoralitySocietyEthicsPerceptionSelf-Reflection
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethical dilemmas in business, one might use this quote to illustrate how societal norms can shift personal moral standards.
More from Leo Tolstoy
All quotes →Pierre 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!
Leo TolstoyRead
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.
Leo TolstoyRead
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.
Leo TolstoyRead
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.
Leo TolstoyRead
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
Similar quotes
Think of God; attachments will gradually drop away. If you wait till all desires disappear before starting your devotion and prayer, you will have to wait for a very long time indeed.
Ramana MaharshiRead
When there is in nature no fixed condition, how much less must there be in the life of a people, beings endowed with mobility and movement!
Jose RizalRead
The fact is that far more crime and child abuse has been committed by zealots in the name of God, Jesus and Mohammed than has ever been committed in the name of Satan. Many people don’t like that statement, but few can argue with it.
Carl SaganRead
I expect that any day now, I will have said all I have to say; I'll have used up all my characters, and then I'll be free to get on with my real life.
Anne TylerRead
The world is not imperfect or slowly evolving along a long path to perfection. No, it is perfect at every moment; every sin already carries grace within it, all small children are potential old men, all sucklings have death within them, all dying people — eternal life.
Hermann HesseRead
Men make their own history but not in circumstances of their own choosing.
Karl MarxRead