A Dialogue Among Clever People (Tolstoy)
Short summary
Guests gathered at a rich man's home and began discussing life. They discovered that not one among them was content with their life. Everyone confessed to living worldly, unchristian lives, concerned only with themselves and their families, thinking little of their neighbors and even less of God.
A young man suddenly declared he would abandon his studies, renounce his property, and go live with the poor in the countryside. His father objected, arguing that the youth was inexperienced and should first complete his education before attempting such radical changes. The older guests agreed with the father.
A married man then expressed similar desires to change his life and focus on his soul rather than his family. The women immediately attacked him, saying he should have thought of this before marriage and had no right to abandon his family obligations.
What a marvelous thing! All of us confess that it is good to live a godly life... but as soon as it comes to the point, then it seems that it is impossible.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The universal confession of unchristian living
Guests gathered at a wealthy man's home for an evening, where a serious conversation about life arose. They discussed both absent and present persons, unable to find a single individual who was content with their existence. Each guest found reasons to complain about their fortune, and none considered themselves to be living as true Christians should. They spoke of their worldly lives, focused solely on themselves and their families while giving little thought to their neighbors and even less to God.
All confessed that they were living worldly lives, concerned only about themselves and their families, thinking little about their neighbors, and still less about God.
The youths resolve and his fathers objection
A young man among the guests cried out in frustration, questioning why they lived in ways they themselves disapproved of. He argued that they possessed power over their own lives and were conscious that their luxury, effeminacy, wealth, and especially their pride separated them from their brethren and led to their ruin.
The youth declared his intention to abandon his studies and renounce his property to live with the poor in the countryside. He planned to work with his hands and share his culture directly with them as their brother, not through institutions and books. Looking inquiringly at his father, who was present, he announced his firm decision.
His father responded that while the desire was worthy, it was foolish and ill-considered. He argued that everything seemed easy to the youth because he lacked life experience.
It seems to you easy to break out new paths in life, because, as yet, you have had no experience of life. This is all the heedlessness and pride of youth.
The father insisted that young people must obey their elders to profit from their experience, get proper education and culture, and only then begin a new life if they felt strong enough. The youth remained silent, and the older persons present agreed with the father's wisdom.
The married mans dilemma and womens opposition
A middle-aged married man addressed the youth's father, acknowledging that while inexperienced youth might blunder, they all agreed their lives contradicted their consciences and brought no happiness. He spoke of his own situation, explaining that both experience and reason proved his current life could not give him serenity or happiness.
The married man contemplated changing his entire life as the youth had proposed, ceasing to worry about wife and children and focusing only on his soul. He quoted St. Paul, saying that the married man thinks about his wife, but the unmarried thinks about God.
Before he finished speaking, all the women present, including his wife, attacked his views.
Once harnessed, you must work... a man ought to be able to live in a godly way even if he has a family. It is easy enough for him to save himself alone.
They argued that he should have thought about this earlier, calling his plan deception and baseness. They insisted a married man had definite obligations and should not shirk them. The married man disagreed, arguing that families should be trained in poverty, labor, and fraternal life with all men, requiring the renunciation of wealth and distinction.
The old mans decision and familys protests
An elderly man defended the married man's position, acknowledging the difficulty for family men to change without causing injury. However, he declared that old men like himself had received God's command to change.
I am living, to tell the truth, merely for my belly. I eat, I drink, I take my ease, and it is disgusting and repulsive to my nature.
He announced his intention to distribute his property and live his remaining days as God commanded Christians to live. His son and niece, whose children he sponsored, protested against his views.
The final observation about universal excuses
A guest who had remained silent throughout the evening finally spoke, marveling at the contradictions he had witnessed.
He observed that while everyone confessed it was good to live a godly life and that they suffered in soul and body from their current existence, each group found reasons why change was impossible. Young people could not escape parental authority, married men could not restrain their families, and old men claimed they were too set in their ways or might not live much longer.
So the upshot is that it is impossible for anyone to live well, but only to talk about it.