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Quote by Leo Tolstoy

“The activity of art is... as important as the activity of language itself, and as universal.”

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Leo Tolstoy was a Russian writer and thinker, a prominent representative of 19th-century Russian literature. His works deeply revealed social contradictions and human nature, and had a profound impact on the world. more

“Real art, like the wife of an affectionate husband, needs no ornaments. But counterfeit art, like a prostitute, must always be decked out. The cause of production of real art is the artist's inner need to express a feeling that has accumulated...The cause of counterfeit art, as of prostitution, is gain. The consequence of true art is the introduction of a new feeling into the intercourse of life... The consequences of counterfeit art are the perversion of man, pleasure which never satisfies, and the weakening of man's spiritual strength.”

“People understand the meaning of eating lies in the nourishment of the body only when they cease to consider that the object of that activity is pleasure. ...People understand the meaning of art only when they cease to consider that the aim of that activity is beauty, i.e., pleasure.”

People Art Body Lying Pleasure Objects Activity Eating Aim Cease Nourishment Meaning Of Art

Author:Leo Tolstoy

“Progress consists only in the greater clarification of answers to the basic questions of life.”

Answers Greater Progress Clarification

Author:Leo Tolstoy

“Religions are the exponents of the highest comprehension of life... within a given age in a given society... a basis for evaluating human sentiments. If feelings bring people nearer to the religion's ideal... they are good; if these estrange them from it, and oppose it, they are bad.”

People Ifs Humans Feelings Age Given Highest Ideals Bases Sentiments Comprehension Exponents

Author:Leo Tolstoy

“You see, if you take pains and learn in order to get a reward, the work will seem hard; but when you work... if you love your work, you will find your reward in that.”

Ifs Hard Seems Pain Order Love You Rewards Love Your Work

Book:ANNA KARENINA

Source: ANNA KARENINA

“Humanity unceasingly strives forward from a lower, more partial and obscure understanding of life to one more general and more lucid.”

Humanity Understanding Strive Obscure Strife

Author:Leo Tolstoy

“I am not built for academic writings. Action is my domain.”

Writing Action Built Academic Domain Academic Writing

Book:The Essential Writings

Source: The Essential Writings

“Fasting is futile unless it is accompanied by an incessant longing for self-restraint.”

Self Longing Restraint Fasting Incessant Self Restraint

Book:All Men Are Brothers

Source: All Men Are Brothers

“If anybody said that I should die if I did not take beef-tea or mutton, even under medical advice, I would prefer death.”

Ifs Should Said Dies Advice Medical Tea Beef Mutton

Book:Collected Works

Source: Collected Works

Quote by Leo Tolstoy

Author

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