Leo Tolstoy Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old Leo Tolstoy quotes, Leo Tolstoy sayings, and Leo Tolstoy proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.'

Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold. Leo Tolstoy
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy
Let us forgive each other - only then will we live in peace. Leo Tolstoy
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 Tolstoy
What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility. Leo Tolstoy
Respect is an invention of people who want to cover up the empty place where love should be. Leo Tolstoy
Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them. Leo Tolstoy
Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them. Leo Tolstoy
Music is the shorthand of emotion. Leo Tolstoy
God is that infinite All of which man knows himself to be a finite part. Leo Tolstoy
If you want to be happy, be. Leo Tolstoy
If you want to be happy, be. Leo Tolstoy
If you look for perfection, you'll never be content. Leo Tolstoy
By patriotism is meant, not only spontaneous, instinctive love for one's own nation, and preference for it above all other nations, but also the belief that such love and preference are good and useful. Leo Tolstoy
He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began. Leo Tolstoy
Boredom: the desire for desires. Leo Tolstoy
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy
An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person's main task in life becoming a better person. Leo Tolstoy
Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them. Leo Tolstoy
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy
The earth is the general and equal possession of all humanity and therefore cannot be the property of individuals. Leo Tolstoy
True life is lived when tiny changes occur. Leo Tolstoy
War is so unjust and ugly that all who wage it must try to stifle the voice of conscience within themselves. Leo Tolstoy
Our body is a machine for living. It is organized for that, it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let it defend itself. Leo Tolstoy
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. Leo Tolstoy
The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity. Leo Tolstoy
Each person's task in life is to become an increasingly better person. Leo Tolstoy
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Leo Tolstoy
A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral. Leo Tolstoy