Quote by Leo Tolstoy

Each man lives for himself, uses his freedom to achieve his personal goals, and feels with his whole being that right now he can or cannot do such-and-such an action; but as soon as he does it, this action, committed at a certain moment in time, becomes irreversible, and makes itself the property of history, in which is has not a free but a predestined significance.

Each man lives for himself, uses his freedom to achieve his

Summary

This quote highlights that individuals live their lives for their own purposes and exercise their freedom to pursue personal objectives. They possess an innate sense of control over their actions in the present moment. However, once an action is taken, it becomes an irreversible part of history and acquires a significance that is predetermined rather than freely chosen. In other words, individuals may believe they have agency in their decisions, but these decisions ultimately become fixed in the context of a larger historical narrative.

Topics

Freedom Free Will

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