History Quote by Leo Tolstoy
![“[from Some words about 'War and Peace' ] In those days also people loved, envied, sought truth and virtue, and where carried away by passions; and there was the same complex mental and moral life among the upper classes, where were in some instances even more refined than now. If we have come to…” quote by Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5d6/leo-tolstoy-55_history_from-some-words-about-war-and-peace-in-t_2034144.jpg)
““[from Some words about 'War and Peace' ] In those days also people loved, envied, sought truth and virtue, and where carried away by passions; and there was the same complex mental and moral life among the upper classes, where were in some instances even more refined than now. If we have come to believe in the perversity and coarse violence of that period, that is only because the traditions, memoirs, stories, and novels that have been handed to us, record for the most part exceptional cases of violence and brutality. To suppose that the predominant characteristic of that period was turbulence, is as unjust as it would before a man, seeing nothing but the tops of trees beyond a hill, to conclude that there was nothing to be found in that locality but trees.””
About This Quote
Source Book: War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy, 1869
The era is often seen as violent because histories focus on extreme events, overlooking everyday moral complexity and refined life among elites.
In simple terms: History emphasizes extremes, missing ordinary virtues.
Key Takeaway
Seek balanced historical perspectives.
Themes
history
morality
perception
complexity
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
analytical
historical
When to use this quote
- academic study
- teaching
- public discourse
- media analysis
Key Concepts
Narrative bias
social stratification
Questions to Reflect On
- How does selective memory shape our view of the past?
- What everyday virtues are we overlooking?
A Different Perspective
Extreme events dominate narratives, skewing public view.
