Leo Tolstoy on Goodness
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“To be good and lead a good life means to give to others more than one takes from them.”
“Every person has only one purpose: to find perfection in goodness. Therefore, only that knowledge is necessary which leads to this.”
“If goodness has causes, it is not goodness; if it has effects, a reward, it is not goodness either. So goodness is outside the chain of cause and effect.”
“I longed with all my soul to be good, but I was young; I had passions and I was alone, completely alone in my search for goodness. Every time I tried to express my innermost desires—a wish to be morally good—I met with contempt and scorn, and as soon as I gave in to vile passions I was praised and encouraged. Ambition, lust for power, self-interest, lechery, pride, anger, revenge, were all respected qualities. As I yielded to these passions I became like my elders and I felt that they were pleased with me.”