A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, Written and Se

by Leo Tolstoy

There is no wisdom in he who thinks that he is wise. A

I have spent all my life amongst wise people, and I found nothing better than silence in this world. If a word costs one coin, then silence costs two. Silence suits clever people, and it suits wise people even more. —The TALMUD Let your tongue become accustomed to the words “I do not know.” —EASTERN WISDOM

In the same way as the storm troubles and muddies the waters, so too passions trouble our souls and interfere with our understanding of this life. People with great and wonderful souls are always quiet and happy.

A king asked a holy man, “Do you remember about me?” The holy man answered, “Yes, I think about you, when I forget about God.” —MUSLIH-UD-DIN SAADI

A deed done only to achieve glory is always bad, no matter what consequences it has. A deed motivated equally by the desire to achieve goodness and to achieve glory is indifferent. A deed is truly good only when its motivation is to fulfill the law of God.

Let the judgments of others he the consequence of your deeds, not their purpose.

Debates conceal the truth more often than they reveal it. Real truth should be revealed in solitude.

He has power who can keep silent in an argument, even though he is right.

If you live alone, think about your own sins; if you are in society, forget about the sins of others.

Establish your purpose when you are alone and without temptations.

If there is a true church, the people who are inside it cannot see it from the outside.

The virtue of a person is measured not by his outstanding efforts, but by his everyday behavior. —BLAISE PASCAL

The level of fear you feel about death is the level of your understanding of life. The less you fear death, the more you possess freedom, tranquillity, and an understanding of the greatness of your spirit and the joy of life.

Do not say words you do not feel, lest your soul be blackened with darkness. —From the BOOK OF DIVINE THOUGHTS

Your enemies can be more useful to you than your friends, because your friends can often pardon your weaknesses, but your enemies notice them and attract your attention to them. Do not neglect the opinion of your enemies.

The more humble a person is, the freer and stronger be is.

If a woman’s kindness is boundless, then her rage can also have no limits. A good wife is the best gift for a husband, and an evil wife is a terrible ulcer for a man. —The TALMUD The more beautiful a woman is, the more honest she should be because it is only through honesty that she can deal with all the evil and damage which her beauty can produce. —GOTTHOLD EPHRAIM LESSING

It is not usually husbands who choose their wives, but wives who choose their husbands. In order to find a better father for her children, a woman must know good and evil. Therefore, women should have a good education first of all. There is nothing more natural for a woman than self-sacrifice. Nothing can be more unpleasant in her than selfishness.

Do not do anything, either among others or alone, which is opposed by your conscience.

people forget that first of all they should respect the human being in themselves.

Beyond his duty to his neighbor, every person has an obligation to himself...

Religion and law try to escape from criticism, religion by saying that it is divine and law by showing that it is powerful. But some suspicions arise from this escape, because we can respect only those things which stand up in free and public trial. —IMMANUEL KANT

Only misconceptions need to be supported by elaborate arguments. Truth can always stand alone.

Only one clear quality marks an action as either good or evil: If it increases the amount of love in the world, it is good. If it separates people and creates animosity among them, it is bad.

did Lex write this?

Life has no meaning without purpose. To lack purpose is to deny the existence of God and to admit that our life is an evil, stupid joke. —GIUSEPPE MAZZINI