Tolstoy

I read this past year the novel Anna Karenina by Lev Tolstoy. It is truly a brilliant literary work. Its description’s of love, anger and depression are timeless. Tolstoy’s insight into the psychology of human nature is exquisite. I extracted some profound lines, which I really felt touched some deep emotion.

“There was no solution, but that universal solution which life gives to all questions, even the most complex and insoluble. That answer is: one must live in the needs of the day—that is, forget oneself”

At times one is overwhelmed with life. He truly does not know how he will live another moment. He sees the future and is filled with despair. Will I love? Will I succeed? Will I achieve greatness? Will I be liked? It’s a weight on his shoulders and a thorn in the heart. Depression overcomes him; he sees no solution to the problems of life. Here Tolstoy describes how to deal with life, and all its currents. Take it one step at a time. Deal with what is ahead of you. Thinking too much is the issue here. Thinking that one has to conquer the world with one step, to achieve something monumental with one swift act is absurd. Live day by day.

“And those who only know the non-platonic love have no need to talk of tragedy. In such love there can be no sort of tragedy. ‘I’m much obliged for the gratification, my humble respects’—that’s all the tragedy. And in platonic love there can be no tragedy, because in that love all is clear and pure, because...”
At that instant Levin recollected his own sins and the inner conflict he had lived through. And he added unexpectedly:
“But perhaps you are right. Very likely...I don’t know, I don’t know.”

"Whom am I and what am I? A nobody, not wanted by any one, nor of use to anybody"