Doctor Looked Quote by Leo Tolstoy
““When the examination was over, the doctor looked at his watch, and then Praskovya Fyodorovna informed Ivan Ilyich that it must of course be as he liked, but she had sent today for a celebrated doctor, and that he would examine him, and have a consultation with Mihail Danilovich (that was the name of his regular doctor). 'Don't oppose it now, please. This I'm doing entirely for my own sake,' she said ironically, meaning it to be understood that she was doing it all for his sake, and was only saying this to give him no right to refuse her request. He lay silent, knitting his brows. He felt that he was hemmed in by such a tangle of falsity that it was hard to disentangle anything from it. Everything she did for him was entirely for her own sake, and she told him she was doing for her own sake what she actually was doing for her own sake as something so incredible that he would take it as meaning the opposite.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, 1886
The narrator reveals how a spouse’s manipulative concern masks self‑interest, leaving the patient feeling trapped in deceit.
In simple terms: A wife pretends to care while serving her own agenda.
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden motives in caring gestures.
Themes
deception
relationships
power dynamics
Mood
conflicted
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- marriage
- hospital
- family conflict
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
self‑interest
psychology
existential angst
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you discern genuine care from self‑service?
- What signs reveal manipulation in close relationships?
A Different Perspective
Even sincere‑seeming help can conceal selfish aims.
![“I've lost the TARDIS as well.' I [Amy] was outraged. Considering my husband was dying and we were stranded in the past, the Doctor seemed fairly calm about things. 'Someone's nicked it!' 'Not so much, no.' The Doctor looked awkward. 'There's a mechanism... thingy. If the TARDIS senses a threat it…” quote by James Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/47d/james-goss-19280_amy-pond_i-ve-lost-the-tardis-as-well-i-amy-was-o_435263.jpg)
