Leo Tolstoy On What Truly Constitutes Greatness

William James

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.”

― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869)

Comments

Open Forum

FEATURED

COMMUNITY

Niccolò Machiavelli On The Company We Keep

Nearly 500-years-ago, Niccolò Machiavelli understood the that the company we keep says a lot about us.

Yossarian Johnson

Keylawk

William Shakespeare On Those Who Use Religion To Cloak Their Misdeeds

"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose."

William James

ahadshaheer

Marcus Tullius Cicero On Ability Without Honor

Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote that "ability without honor is useless."

JohnZambis

Gore Vidal Sums Up Ayn Rand's Philosophy

“Ayn Rand's 'philosophy' is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominous and symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society.... To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.” - Gore Vidal

JohnZambis

Adagio4639

Open Question: Is Solitude, Even Isolation, Better Than Poor Company?

Is solitude, even isolation, better than poor company? Is loneliness better than poor company? Please register and explain at our new website. (Photo credit: Thomas Rousing)

JohnZambis

Bikash Kunda

Man Glad He Carries Gun After Hearing Foreign Languages At Supermarket

This is a story gleaned from Reddit. A man hears foreign languages and immediately is glad that he carries a gun. (Credit: Reddit User MultiKdizzle)

JohnZambis

Rose Rabbit

This Seems Quite Relevant Now

Samuel Johnson said, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel". It seems like this statement is more relevant now than it has been in a while.

Yossarian Johnson

Aran

Open Question: 'Quiet Desperation'? What Is It?

In Walden, Henry David Thoreau discusses, 'quiet desperation'. What is it? In your opinion, does 'quiet desperation' drive the human need for escapism? Does it drive a need for a sense of overall purpose in our lives? (Photo credit / Franck Michel)

Yossarian Johnson