Philosopher’s Spotlight — Leo Tolstoy

On love, patience, and not neglecting the small things in life.

Welcome to the Philosopher’s Spotlight. Every so often, I take a look at a philosopher that shaped his or her life with profound words and deeds, and impacted the lives of those around them in a meaningful way. I love drinking in proverbs, wisdom literature, and insights or different ways of living that can help us all live better, find peace and love more.

Context

Leo Tolstoy, otherwise known as Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, was a Russian writer who lived during the 19th century, and is regarded by many as one of the greatest authors of all time (straight from the Encyclopedia Britannica). Wow, broad claim, right? Some of you may not even be familiar with this guy. I certainly wasn’t long for a long time. But Leo Tolstoy is truly a fascinating gem, one that I am peering more and more into.

But first, some context. Born into an aristocratic Russian family in 1828, he was raised by relatives after his mother and father both died by the time he was nine. While studying law and oriental languages at university, his teachers described him as both “unable and unwilling to learn”, and Tolstoy later dropped out. Living a life of drinking, gambling, and debauchery, through his diary entries we read…