Good Quote by Leo Tolstoy
““But in the depths of his heart, the older he became, and the more intimately he knew his brother, the more and more frequently the thought struck him that this faculty of working for the public good, of which he felt himself utterly devoid, was possibly not so much a quality as a lack of something --not a lack of good, honest, noble desires and tastes, but a lack of vital force, of what is called heart, of that impulse which drives a man to choose someone out of the innumerable paths of life, and to care only for that one. The better he knew his brother, the more he noticed that Sergey Ivanovitch, and many other people who worked for the public welfare, were not led by an impulse of the heart to care for the public good, but reasoned from intellectual considerations that it was a right thing to take interest in public affairs, and consequently took interest in them. Levin was confirmed in this generalization by observing that his brother did not take questions affecting the public welfare or the question of the immortality of the soul a bit more to heart than he did chess problems, or the ingenious construction of a new machine.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Anna Karenina, 1877
A lack of heartfelt passion, not moral desire, can prevent genuine commitment to public good.
In simple terms: Heart, not just intellect, drives true altruism.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate empathy and inner drive.
Themes
ethics
humanity
motivation
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- volunteer work
- public service
- leadership training
- community projects
Key Concepts
psychology of altruism
heart versus mind
moral philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What fuels your commitment to others?
- How to awaken heart‑driven purpose?
A Different Perspective
Intellectual reasoning alone may not sustain long‑term dedication.
