--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those whom God wishes to destroy he…" description: "\"Those whom God wishes to destroy he drives mad.\" — Leo Tolstoy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/leo-tolstoy-55_destroy_those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-driv_2163758.png" --- # Those whom God wishes to destroy he drives mad. ![“Those whom God wishes to destroy he drives mad.” quote by Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/leo-tolstoy-55_destroy_those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-driv_2163758.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/leo-tolstoy-55_destroy_those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-driv_2163758.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/leo-tolstoy-55_destroy_those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-driv_2163758.png) > “Those whom God wishes to destroy he drives mad.” [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine wrath may target those destined for ruin, driving them to madness. **In simple terms:** God may send madness to those he intends to destroy. Key Takeaway Beware of forces that could destabilize you. Themes faith destiny madness divine will psychology Mood reflective philosophical Type theological psychological When to use this quote - personal crisis - spiritual struggle - mental health - moral testing Key Concepts theodicy psychological turmoil Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about free will? - Can suffering be a test or a punishment? A Different Perspective Assumes a deterministic view of suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [Whom Jupiter would destroy he first drives mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/whom-jupiter-would-destroy-he-first-drives-mad/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-first-makes-mad/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Whom God wishes to destroy, He first makes successful in show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-first-makes-successful-in-show-business/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) > [When I think about the idea of Rebel Wilson having to go to the Oscars and not having something amazing to wear that's made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/when-i-think-about-the-idea-of-rebel-wilson-having-to-go-to-the/) [Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/) > [It's not knowing that drives you mad. It's imaging things that you wish you couldn't think up all by yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-valentine/it-s-not-knowing-that-drives-you-mad-it-s-imaging-things-that-you/) [Jenny Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-valentine/) > [Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-first-makes-angry/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Whom Fortune wishes to destroy she first makes mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/whom-fortune-wishes-to-destroy-she-first-makes-mad/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [It is not doubt,is certitude that drives you mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-not-doubt-is-certitude-that-drives-you-mad/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Losing drives me mad. It hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/losing-drives-me-mad-it-hurts/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [Man cannot bear his own portrait. The image of his limits and his own determinacy exasperates him, drives him mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/man-cannot-bear-his-own-portrait-the-image-of-his-limits-and-his-own/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [A good intention clothes itself with sudden power. When a god wishes to ride, any chip or pebble will bud and shoot out winged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-good-intention-clothes-itself-with-sudden-power-when-a-god-wishes/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“He says... only when God wishes it. But when God doesn't wish for it. It's like this. This is when we steal kisses while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kotobuki-tarako/he-says-only-when-god-wishes-it-but-when-god-doesn-t-wish-for-it-it-s/) Kotobuki Tarako > [To have faith in Christ means more than simply despising the delights of this life. It means we should bear all our daily trials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/symeon-the-new-theologian/to-have-faith-in-christ-means-more-than-simply-despising-the-delights/) [Symeon the New Theologian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/symeon-the-new-theologian/) > [“St. John of the Cross writes in The Living Flame of Love: “And here it ought to be pointed out why so few reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-rossini/st-john-of-the-cross-writes-in-the-living-flame-of-love-and-here-it/) [Connie Rossini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-rossini/) > [God forbid that all children, of whom daily so great a multitude die, would perish, but that also for these, the merciful God, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-innocent-iii/god-forbid-that-all-children-of-whom-daily-so-great-a-multitude-die/) [Pope Innocent III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-innocent-iii/) ## More by Leo Tolstoy > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-only-significance-of-life-consists-in-helping-to-establish-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Energy rests upon love; and come as it will, there's no forcing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/energy-rests-upon-love-and-come-as-it-will-there-s-no-forcing-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“If you only knew what those society women are, and women in general! My father is right. Selfish, vain, stupid, trivial in everything—that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-you-only-knew-what-those-society-women-are-and-women-in-general-my/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To speak of it would be giving importance to that which has none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-speak-of-it-would-be-giving-importance-to-that-which-has-none/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Once we're thrown off our habitual paths, we think all is lost, but it's only here that the new and the good begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/once-we-re-thrown-off-our-habitual-paths-we-think-all-is-lost-but-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He knew she was there by the rapture and the terror that seized on his heart. She was standing talking to a lady at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-knew-she-was-there-by-the-rapture-and-the-terror-that-seized-on/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Rest, nature, books, music...such is my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/rest-nature-books-music-such-is-my-idea-of-happiness/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He was not to blame for being born with an irrepressible charachter and a mind some how constrained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-was-not-to-blame-for-being-born-with-an-irrepressible-charachter/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I ask one thing only: I ask for the right to hope, to suffer as I do. But if even that cannot be, command…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-ask-one-thing-only-i-ask-for-the-right-to-hope-to-suffer-as-i-do/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The idea shared by many that life is a vale of tears is just as false as the idea shared by the great majority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-idea-shared-by-many-that-life-is-a-vale-of-tears-is-just-as-false/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-say-that-a-work-of-art-is-good-but-incomprehensible-to-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [True life is lived when tiny changes occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/true-life-is-lived-when-tiny-changes-occur/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) [Explore all 1,754 Leo Tolstoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More Destroy quotes > [“That would be just like me-ruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/that-would-be-just-like-me-ruin-everything-destroy-the-world-in-a/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-shall-fight-against-them-throw-them-in-prisons-and-destroy-them/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Destroy gossip by ignoring it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/destroy-gossip-by-ignoring-it/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [When I became successful, I put up a caution. I didn't think it was fair to have the shadow of that kind of success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-i-became-successful-i-put-up-a-caution-i-didn-t-think-it-was/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [“Put that thing down, girl. Don't you know it steals part of your soul, that little mechanical masterpiece you hold so frivolously? Don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/put-that-thing-down-girl-don-t-you-know-it-steals-part-of-your-soul/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [In a democracy, the one thing that cannot be done is to destroy its trust, its hope, its idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-heinz/in-a-democracy-the-one-thing-that-cannot-be-done-is-to-destroy-its/) [Teresa Heinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-heinz/) > [Just a reminder, if you tell anyone about what happened with Jonah last night, I'll destroy all of my writing and never play music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/just-a-reminder-if-you-tell-anyone-about-what-happened-with-jonah/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [We will not waste 30 years of our lives dealing with extremist ideas; we will destroy them today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-bin-salman/we-will-not-waste-30-years-of-our-lives-dealing-with-extremist-ideas/) [Mohammad bin Salman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-bin-salman/) > [We will defend ourselves, and we have full rights to do so. If the authorities try to destroy us, we have the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-udaltsov/we-will-defend-ourselves-and-we-have-full-rights-to-do-so-if-the/) Sergei Udaltsov > [You destroy my life then feed me inspirational philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/you-destroy-my-life-then-feed-me-inspirational-philosophy/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [There are seven things that will destroy us, Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Religion without sacrifice, Politics without principle, Science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coldheart/there-are-seven-things-that-will-destroy-us-wealth-without-work/) [Coldheart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coldheart/) Browse all 1,229 Destroy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Those whom God wishes to destroy he drives mad.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leo Tolstoy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-drives-mad/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Destroy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-drives-mad/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/leo-tolstoy-55_destroy_those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-driv_2163758.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/leo-tolstoy-55_destroy_those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-driv_2163758.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/leo-tolstoy-55_destroy_those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-driv_2163758.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Those whom God wishes to destroy he drives mad.” — Leo Tolstoy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Leo Tolstoy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Those whom God wishes to destroy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-drives-mad/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/those-whom-god-wishes-to-destroy-he-drives-mad/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```