Compassion Quote by Leo Tolstoy
““It would be good," thought Prince Andrei, glancing at the little image that his sister had hung around his neck with such reverence and emotion, "It would be good if everything were as clear and simple as it seems to Princess Marya . How good it would be to know where to seek help in this life, and what to expect after it, beyond the grave! How happy and at peace I should be if I could now say:" Lord have mercy on me!... But to whom should I say this? To some power--- indefinable and incomprehensible, to which I not only cannot appeal, but which I cannot express in words---The Great All or Nothing," he said to himself, "or to that God who has been sewn into this amulet by Marya? There is nothing certain, nothing except the nothingness of everything that is comprehensible to me, and the greatness of something incomprehensible but all important!””
About This Quote
Source Novel: War and Peace, 1869
Prince Andrei longs for simple, clear guidance in life and after death, yet confronts the unknowable and the limits of language.
In simple terms: He seeks clear answers but faces mystery.
Key Takeaway
Accept uncertainty.
Themes
existence
faith
knowledge
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- spiritual searching
- literary analysis
- psychological counseling
Key Concepts
philosophy
theology
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What comforts you in uncertainty?
- How do you find meaning without clear answers?
A Different Perspective
Human desire for certainty may lead to frustration.
