Letters about the good and beautiful story of creation. From "Letters about the Good and the Beautiful" by Dmitry Likhachev

DEAR FRIENDS!

Before you is the book "Letters about the Good and the Beautiful" by one of the outstanding scientists of our time, chairman of the Soviet Cultural Fund, academician Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev. These "letters" are not addressed to anyone in particular, but to all readers. First of all, young people who have yet to learn life and follow its difficult paths.

The fact that the author of the letters, Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, is a man whose name is known on all continents, an outstanding connoisseur of domestic and world culture, elected an honorary member of many foreign academies, bearing other honorary titles of the largest scientific institutions makes this book especially valuable.

And the advice that can be obtained by reading this book relates to almost all aspects of life.

This is a collection of wisdom, this is the speech of a benevolent Teacher, whose pedagogical tact and the ability to speak with students are one of his main talents.

The book was first published by our publishing house in 1985 and has already become a bibliographic rarity - this is evidenced by numerous letters that we receive from readers.

This book has been translated into different countries are translated into many languages.

Here is what D.S. Likhachev himself writes in the preface to the Japanese edition, in which he explains why this book was written:

"In my deep conviction goodness and beauty are the same for all nations. They are united in two senses: truth and beauty are eternal companions, they are united among themselves and are the same for all peoples.

Lies are bad for everyone. Sincerity and truthfulness, honesty and disinterestedness are always good.

In my book “Letters on Good and Beautiful”, intended for children, I try to explain with the simplest arguments that following the path of goodness is the most acceptable and the only path for a person. He is tested, he is faithful, he is useful - both to a person alone and to the whole society as a whole.

In my letters I do not try to explain what is good and why a kind person internally beautiful, lives in harmony with himself, with society and with nature. There can be many explanations, definitions and approaches. I aspire to something else concrete examples based on the properties of common human nature.

I do not subordinate the concept of goodness and the accompanying concept of human beauty to any worldview. My examples are not ideological, because I want to explain them to children even before they begin to subordinate themselves to any specific worldview principles.

Children are very fond of traditions, they are proud of their home, their family, as well as their village. But they willingly understand not only their own, but also other people's traditions, someone else's worldview, they catch the common thing that all people have.

I will be happy if the reader, no matter what age he belongs to (after all, it happens that adults also read children's books), finds in my letters at least a part of what he can agree with.

Consent between people different nations- this is the most precious and now the most necessary for humanity.

LETTERS TO YOUNG READERS

For my conversations with the reader, I have chosen the form of letters. This is, of course, a conditional form. In the readers of my letters, I imagine friends. Letters to friends allow me to write simply.

Why did I arrange my letters this way? First, in my letters I write about the purpose and meaning of life, about the beauty of behavior, and then I turn to the beauty of the world around us, to the beauty that opens up to us in works of art. I do this because in order to perceive the beauty of the environment, a person himself must be spiritually beautiful, deep, stand on the right positions in life. Try to hold the binoculars in trembling hands - you will not see anything.

Letter one

BIG IN SMALL

In the material world, the big cannot fit in the small. But in the sphere of spiritual values, it is not so: much more can fit in the small, and if you try to fit the small in the big, then the big simply ceases to exist.

If a person has a great goal, then it should manifest itself in everything - in the most seemingly insignificant. You must be honest in the imperceptible and accidental: then only will you be honest in the fulfillment of your great duty. A great goal encompasses the whole person, is reflected in his every action, and one cannot think that a good goal can be achieved by bad means.

The saying “the end justifies the means” is pernicious and immoral. Dostoevsky showed this well in Crime and Punishment. The main character of this work, Rodion Raskolnikov, thought that by killing the disgusting old usurer, he would get money, with which he could then achieve great goals and benefit humanity, but suffers an internal collapse. The goal is distant and unrealizable, but the crime is real; it is terrible and cannot be justified by anything. It is impossible to strive for a high goal with low means. We must be equally honest in both big and small things.

The general rule: to observe the big in the small - it is necessary, in particular, in science. Scientific truth is the most precious thing, and it must be followed in all details of scientific research and in the life of a scientist. If, however, one strives in science for “small” goals – for proof by “force”, contrary to facts, for the “interestingness” of conclusions, for their effectiveness, or for any form of self-advancement, then the scientist will inevitably fail. Maybe not right away, but eventually! When the results of research are exaggerated or even minor juggling of facts and scientific truth is pushed into the background, science ceases to exist, and the scientist himself sooner or later ceases to be a scientist.

It is necessary to observe the great in everything resolutely. Then everything is easy and simple.

Letter two

YOUTH IS ALL LIFE

Therefore, take care of youth until old age. Appreciate all the good things that you acquired in your youth, do not squander the wealth of youth. Nothing acquired in youth goes unnoticed. Habits developed in youth last a lifetime. Work habits, too. Get used to work - and work will always bring joy. And how important it is for human happiness! There is nothing more unhappy than a lazy person who always avoids labor and effort...

Both in youth and in old age. Good habits of youth will make life easier, bad habits will complicate it and make it more difficult.

And further. There is a Russian proverb: "Take care of honor from a young age." All the deeds committed in youth remain in the memory. The good ones will please, the bad ones will not let you sleep!

letter three

THE BIGGEST

What is the biggest purpose of life? I think: to increase the good in those around us. And goodness is above all the happiness of all people. It is made up of many things, and every time life sets a task for a person, which is important to be able to solve. You can do good to a person in small things, you can think about big things, but small things and big things cannot be separated. Much, as I have already said, begins with trifles, is born in childhood and in loved ones.

A child loves his mother and his father, brothers and sisters, his family, his home. Gradually expanding, his affections extend to the school, village, city, all of his country. And this is already a very big and deep feeling, although one cannot stop there and one must love a person in a person.

You have to be a patriot, not a nationalist. You don't have to hate every other family because you love your own. There is no need to hate other nations because you are a patriot. There is a profound difference between patriotism and nationalism. In the first - love for one's country, in the second - hatred for all others.

The publishing house would like to thank Vera Sergeevna Tolts-Zilitinkevich for providing the photographs.

Part 1
Good Letters

Letters to Young Readers

Letter one
Big in small

In the material world, you cannot fit the big in the small, but in the sphere of spiritual values it is not so: much more can fit in the small, and if you try to fit the small in the big, then the big simply ceases to exist.

If a person has a great goal, then it should manifest itself in everything - in the most seemingly insignificant. You must be honest in the imperceptible and accidental, then only will you be honest in the fulfillment of your great duty. A great goal encompasses the whole person, is reflected in his every action, and one cannot think that a good goal can be achieved by bad means.

The general rule: to observe the big in the small - it is necessary, in particular, in science. Scientific truth is the most precious thing, and it must be followed in all details of scientific research and in the life of a scientist. If, however, one strives in science for “small” goals – for proof by “force”, contrary to facts, for spectacular results, or for any form of self-advancement – then the scientist will inevitably fail. Maybe not right away, but eventually! When the results of research are exaggerated or even minor juggling of facts and scientific truth is pushed into the background, science ceases to exist, and the scientist himself sooner or later ceases to be a scientist.

It is necessary to observe the big in the small in everything resolutely. Then everything is easy and simple.

Letter two
Youth is all life

Both in youth and in old age. Good habits of youth will make life easier, bad habits will complicate it and make it more difficult.

And further. There is a Russian proverb: "Take care of honor from a young age." All the deeds committed in youth remain in the memory. The good ones will please, the bad ones will not let you sleep!

letter three
The biggest

A child loves his mother and his father, brothers and sisters, his family, his home. Gradually expanding, his affections spread to the school, village, city, the whole country. And this is already a very big and deep feeling, although one cannot stop there and one must love a person in a person.

You have to be a patriot, not a nationalist. It is impossible, there is no need to hate someone else's family, because you love your own. There is no need to hate other nations because you are a patriot. There is a profound difference between patriotism and nationalism. In the first - love for one's country, in the second - hatred for all others.

The great goal of kindness begins with a small one - with the desire for good for your loved ones, but, expanding, it captures an ever wider range of issues.

It's like circles on the water. But the circles on the water, expanding, are becoming weaker. Love and friendship, growing and spreading to many things, gain new strength, become higher and higher, and the person, their center, is wiser.

Love should not be unaccountable, it should be smart. This means that it must be combined with the ability to notice shortcomings, to deal with shortcomings - both in a loved one and in those around you. It must be combined with wisdom, with the ability to separate the necessary from the empty and false. She shouldn't be blind. Blind delight (you can’t even call it love) can lead to terrible consequences. A mother who admires everything and encourages her child in everything can bring up a moral monster.

Wisdom is intelligence combined with kindness. Intelligence without kindness is cunning. Cunning, however, sooner or later turns against the cunning one himself. Therefore, the trick is forced to hide. Wisdom is open and reliable. She does not deceive others, and above all the wisest person. Wisdom brings a sage a good name and lasting happiness, brings reliable, long-term happiness and that good conscience which is most valuable in old age.

How can I express what is common between my three propositions: "Big in the small", "Youth is the whole life" and "The greatest"? It can be expressed in one word, which can become a motto: "Loyalty". Loyalty to those great principles that a person should be guided by in big and small things, loyalty to his impeccable youth, his homeland in the broad and narrow sense of this concept, loyalty to family, friends, city, country, people. Ultimately, fidelity is fidelity to truth—truth-truth and truth-justice.

Letter Four
The greatest value is life

Life is first and foremost breathing. "Soul", "spirit"! And he died - first of all - "stopped breathing." That's what the ancients thought. "Spirit out!" It means "died".

It is stuffy in the house, "stuffy" and in moral life. It is necessary to “breathe out” all the petty worries, all the fuss of everyday life, get rid of, shake off everything that hampers the movement of thought, that crushes the soul, does not allow a person to accept life, its values, its beauty.

A person should always think about what is most important for himself and for others, throwing off all empty worries.

You have to be open to people, tolerant of people, look for the best in them first of all. The ability to seek and find the best, simply good, "veiled beauty" enriches a person spiritually.

To notice beauty in nature, in a village, a city, not to mention in a person, through all the barriers of trifles, means to expand the sphere of life, the sphere of that living space in which a person lives.

I have been looking for this word - "sphere" for a long time. At first I said to myself: “We need to expand the boundaries of life,” but life has no boundaries! Is not land plot, enclosed by a fence - borders. “To expand the limits of life” is not suitable for expressing my thought for the same reason. “Expanding the horizons of life” is already better, but still something is not right. Maximilian Voloshin loved good word- "okoe". This is all that the eye can take in, that it can grasp. But even here the limitations of our everyday knowledge interfere. Life cannot be reduced to everyday impressions. We must be able to feel and even notice what is beyond our perception, to have, as it were, a “premonition” of something new that is opening up or that can open up to us. The greatest value in the world is life: someone else's, one's own, the life of the animal world and plants, the life of culture, life throughout its entire length - both in the past, and in the present, and in the future ... And life is infinitely deep. We always come across something that we have not noticed before, which strikes us with its beauty, unexpected wisdom, originality.

letter five
What is the sense of life

You can define the purpose of your existence in different ways, but there must be a purpose - otherwise it will not be life, but vegetation.

You have to have principles in life. It’s good even to state them in a diary, but for the diary to be “real”, you can’t show it to anyone - write only for yourself.

Every person should have one rule in life, in his goal of life, in his principles of life, in his behavior: one must live life with dignity, so that one is not ashamed to remember.

Dignity requires kindness, generosity, the ability not to be a narrow egoist, to be truthful, a good friend, to find joy in helping others.

For the sake of the dignity of life, one must be able to refuse small pleasures and considerable ones too ... To be able to apologize, admit a mistake to others is better than play up and lie.

When deceiving, a person first of all deceives himself, because he thinks that he has successfully lied, but people understood and, out of delicacy, kept silent. Lies are always visible. A special feeling tells people whether they are lying or telling the truth. But sometimes there is no evidence, and more often - you don’t want to get involved ...

Nature has been creating man for many millions of years, and this creative, constructive activity of nature must, I think, be respected, we must live life with dignity, and live in such a way that nature, working on our creation, is not offended. In our life we must support this creative trend, the creativity of nature, and in no case support everything destructive that exists in life. How to understand this, how to apply it to your life - each person should answer this individually, in relation to his abilities, his interests, etc. But you need to live by creating, maintaining creativity in life. Life is varied, and consequently, creation is also varied, and our aspirations for creativity in life should also be varied according to our abilities and inclinations. How do you think?

In life, there is some level of happiness from which we count, as we count height from sea level.

Starting point. So, the task of each person, both large and small, is to increase this level of happiness. And personal happiness also does not remain outside of these worries. But mostly those around you, those who are closer to you, whose level of happiness can be increased simply, easily, without worries. And besides, it means raising the level of happiness of your country and all of humanity, after all.

The methods are different, but something is available for everyone. If the solution of state issues is not available, which always increases the level of happiness, if they are wisely resolved, then this level of happiness can be increased within your working environment, within your school, in the circle of your friends and comrades. Everyone has such an opportunity.

Life is, first of all, creativity, but this does not mean that every person, in order to live, must be born an artist, ballerina or scientist. Creativity can also be created. You can simply create a good atmosphere around you, as they say now, an aura of goodness around you. For example, a person can bring into society an atmosphere of suspicion, some kind of painful silence, or he can immediately bring joy, light. This is what creativity is. Creativity is continuous. So life is eternal creation. A person is born and leaves a memory behind. What kind of memory will he leave behind? This needs to be taken care of not only from a certain age, but, I think, from the very beginning, since a person can die at any moment and at any moment. And it is very important what kind of memory he leaves about himself.

letter six
Purpose and self-esteem

When a person consciously or intuitively chooses some goal, a life task for himself, at the same time he involuntarily gives himself an assessment. By what a person lives for, one can judge his self-esteem - low or high.

If a person sets himself the task of acquiring all elementary material goods, he evaluates himself at the level of these wealth: as the owner of a car of the latest brand, as the owner of a luxurious dacha, as part of his furniture set ...

If a person lives to bring good to people, to alleviate their suffering in case of illness, to give people joy, then he evaluates himself at the level of his humanity. He sets himself a goal worthy of a man.

Only a vital goal allows a person to live his life with dignity and get real joy. Yes, joy! Think: if a person sets himself the task of increasing goodness in life, bringing happiness to people, what failures can befall him? Not to help who should? But how many people don't need help? If you are a doctor, then maybe you have given the patient the wrong diagnosis? This happens with the best doctors. But in total, you still helped more than you didn’t help. No one is immune from mistakes. But the most important mistake, the fatal mistake, is the wrong choice of the main task in life. Not promoted - disappointment. I did not have time to buy a stamp for my collection - disappointment. Someone has better furniture or a better car than you - again disappointment, and what else!

Setting a career or acquisition as a goal, a person experiences in total much more sorrows than joys, and risks losing everything. And what can a person who rejoices in every good deed have to lose? It is only important that the good that a person does be his inner need, come from a smart heart, and not just from the head, it would not be only a “principle”.

Therefore, the main life task must necessarily be a task wider than just a personal one, it should not be closed only on one's own successes and failures. It should be dictated by kindness to people, love for the family, for your city, for your people, country, for the whole universe.

Does this mean that a person should live like an ascetic, not take care of himself, not acquire anything and not rejoice at a simple promotion? By no means! A person who does not think about himself at all is an abnormal phenomenon and personally unpleasant for me: there is some kind of breakdown in this, some kind of ostentatious exaggeration of his kindness, disinterestedness, significance, there is some kind of contempt for other people, a desire stand out.

Therefore, I am talking only about the main task of life. And this main life task does not need to be emphasized in the eyes of other people. And you need to dress well (this is respect for others), but not necessarily “better than others”. And you need to make a library for yourself, but not necessarily larger than that of a neighbor. And it’s good to buy a car for yourself and your family – it’s convenient. Just do not turn the secondary into the primary, and do not let the main goal of life exhaust you where it is not necessary. When you need it is another matter. We'll see who's capable of what.

letter seven
What unites people

Floors of care. Caring strengthens relationships between people. Strengthens the family, strengthens friendship, strengthens fellow villagers, residents of one city, one country.

Follow a person's life.

A man is born, and the first concern for him is his mother; gradually (after a few days) the father’s care for him comes into direct contact with the child (before the birth of the child, there was already care for him, but to a certain extent it was “abstract” - the parents prepared for the appearance of the child, dreamed about him).

The feeling of caring for another appears very early, especially in girls. The girl does not speak yet, but is already trying to take care of the doll, nursing her. Boys, very young, like to pick mushrooms, fish. Berries and mushrooms are also loved by girls. And after all, they collect not only for themselves, but for the whole family. They bring it home, prepare it for the winter.

Gradually, children become objects of ever higher care and they themselves begin to show real and wide care - not only about the family, but also about the school, about their village, city and country ...

Care is expanding and becoming more altruistic. Children pay for taking care of themselves by taking care of their old parents, when they can no longer repay the care of their children. And this concern for the elderly, and then for the memory of deceased parents, as it were, merges with concern for the historical memory of the family and the motherland as a whole.

If care is directed only at oneself, then an egoist grows up.

Care unites people, strengthens the memory of the past and is directed entirely to the future. This is not a feeling itself - it is a concrete manifestation of a feeling of love, friendship, patriotism. The person must be caring. An uncaring or carefree person is most likely a person who is unkind and does not love anyone.

Morality is characterized by a feeling of compassion in the highest degree. In compassion there is a consciousness of one's unity with humanity and the world (not only with people, nations, but also with animals, plants, nature, etc.). The feeling of compassion (or something close to it) makes us fight for cultural monuments, for their preservation, for nature, individual landscapes, for respect for memory. In compassion there is a consciousness of one's unity with other people, with a nation, a people, a country. Universe. That is why the forgotten concept of compassion requires its full revival and development.

Surprisingly correct thought: "A small step for man, a big step for humanity." Thousands of examples can be cited: it costs nothing to be kind to one person, but it is incredibly difficult for humanity to become kind. You can't fix humanity, but it's easy to fix yourself. Feeding a child, moving an old man across the road, giving up your seat on a tram, doing a good job, being polite and courteous, etc., etc. - all this is easy for a person, but incredibly difficult for everyone at once. That's why you need to start with yourself.

Kindness cannot be stupid. A good deed is never stupid, because it is disinterested and does not pursue the goal of profit and "smart result". It is possible to call a good deed "stupid" only when it clearly could not achieve the goal or was "false good", erroneously good, that is, not good. I repeat: a truly good deed cannot be stupid, it is beyond evaluation from the point of view of the mind or not the mind. The good and the good.

Letter eight
Be funny but not funny

It is said that the content determines the form. This is true, but the opposite is also true, that the content depends on the form. The well-known American psychologist of the beginning of this century, D. James, wrote: “We cry because we are sad, but we are also sad because we cry.” Therefore, let's talk about the form of our behavior, about what should become our habit and what should also become our inner content.

It was once considered indecent to show with all your appearance that a misfortune happened to you, that you were in grief. A person should not have imposed his depressed state on others. It was necessary to maintain dignity even in grief, to be equal with everyone, not to plunge into oneself and remain as friendly and even cheerful as possible. The ability to maintain dignity, not to impose one's grief on others, not to spoil the mood of others, to always be even in dealing with people, to be always friendly and cheerful - this is a great and real art that helps to live in society and society itself.

But how fun should you be? Noisy and obsessive fun is tiring for others. A young man who is always spouting witticisms ceases to be perceived as worthy of behaving. He becomes a joke. And this is the worst thing that can happen to a person in society, and it means ultimately the loss of a sense of humor.

Don't be funny.

Not being funny is not only the ability to behave, but also a sign of intelligence.

You can be funny in everything, even in the manner of dressing. If a man chooses too carefully a tie to a shirt, a shirt to a suit, he is ridiculous. Excessive concern for one's appearance is immediately visible. Care must be taken to dress decently, but this care in men should not go beyond certain limits. A man who cares too much about his appearance is unpleasant. The woman is another matter. Men should only have a hint of fashion in their clothes. A perfectly clean shirt, clean shoes and a fresh but not very bright tie are enough. The suit can be old, it just doesn't have to be unkempt.

In a conversation with others, know how to listen, know how to be silent, know how to joke, but rarely and in time. Take up as little space as possible. Therefore, at dinner, do not put your elbows on the table, embarrassing your neighbor. Do not try too hard to be the "soul of society." Observe the measure in everything, do not be intrusive even with your friendly feelings.

Don't worry about your shortcomings if you have them. If you stutter, don't think it's too bad. Stutterers are excellent speakers, considering every word they say. The best lecturer of Moscow University, famous for its eloquent professors, historian V. O. Klyuchevsky stuttered. A slight strabismus can give significance to the face, lameness - to movements. And if you are shy, don't be afraid. Don't be ashamed of your shyness: shyness is very sweet and not at all funny. It only becomes funny if you try too hard to overcome it and feel embarrassed about it. Be simple and indulgent to your shortcomings. Don't suffer from them. There is nothing worse when an “inferiority complex” develops in a person, and with it anger, hostility towards other people, envy. A person loses what is best in him - kindness.

There is no better music than silence, silence in the mountains, silence in the forest. There is no better “music in a person” than modesty and the ability to remain silent, not to come forward in the first place. There is nothing more unpleasant and stupid in the appearance and behavior of a person than dignity or noisy; there is nothing more ridiculous in a man than excessive concern for his suit and hair, calculated movements and a “fountain of witticisms” and jokes, especially if they are repeated.

In behavior, be afraid to be funny and try to be modest, quiet.

Never loosen up, always be equal with people, respect the people who surround you.

Don't be afraid of your physical imperfections. Carry yourself with dignity and you will be elegant.

I have a friend who is a little chubby. Honestly, I do not get tired of admiring her grace on those rare occasions when I meet her in museums on opening days (everyone meets there - that's why they are cultural holidays).

And one more thing, and perhaps the most important: be truthful. He who seeks to deceive others is first of all deceived himself. He naively thinks that they believed him, and those around him were actually just polite. But the lie always betrays itself, the lie is always “felt”, and you not only become disgusting, worse - you are ridiculous.

Don't be ridiculous! Truthfulness is beautiful, even if you admit that you have deceived before on any occasion, and explain why you did it. This will fix the situation. You will be respected and you will show your intelligence.

Simplicity and "silence" in a person, truthfulness, lack of pretensions in clothing and behavior - this is the most attractive "form" in a person, which also becomes his most elegant "content".

Do you read the summary? “Letters about the good and the beautiful” is the topic of the article and the work of D. Likhachev, which we will get acquainted with. Consider some of the letters that are fundamental and most significant. For those who are not familiar with the work of Dmitry Likhachev, this article will be a real discovery. We will briefly talk about the author in order to better understand the importance and usefulness of his work.

about the author

Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev is a very talented culturologist, art critic and professor. He made a huge contribution to the development of many sciences, for which he was repeatedly awarded at the very high level. During his life he changed many professions, but whatever he did, he became a master in this business. He is remembered and loved by hundreds of people. He expressed his wisdom and views on life in books that are worth their weight in gold. They are a real storehouse of knowledge for young people. Interestingly, Dmitry Sergeevich was never a member of the Communist Party. He also refused to sign any documents directed against cultural figures. At the same time, he was not radical, but always tried to find a compromise.

First letter

Where do we start with the summary? "Letters about the good and the beautiful" is best to start with the letter "Big in the small." In it, the author talks about the fact that each person should have his own goal in life. It must be respected even in small things, because only then you can really achieve what you want. The idea that all means are good is considered pernicious. In order to follow something great, one must observe it in the most ordinary things. Thus, the author points out that in the material world it is difficult to observe the small in the big. The world of spiritual values works quite differently. A real example is given on the basis of F. Dostoevsky's book "Crime and Punishment", in which the protagonist commits a crime for the sake of a great goal, but ends up with nothing.

Meaning of life

D. S. Likhachev wrote “Letters about the Good and the Beautiful” as parting words for young people, and it should be said that he did an excellent job with his task. He talks about the importance of understanding your purpose. If you live aimlessly, then it will be an ordinary vegetative existence. Dmitry Sergeevich also insists that every person should have principles in life. It will be more convenient to write them down somewhere. He also advises keeping a diary, but not showing it to anyone. The basic rule for a reasonable person is to live life in such a way that you will not be ashamed later. In order to be such a person, you will have to work hard. Generosity, kindness, truthfulness and honesty are inalienable qualities for everyone. It is also very important to deny yourself small pleasures for a big result or big temptations that can completely change your life. An important skill is the ability to understand and admit your mistakes.

Self-Esteem and Goals

As we already know, Dmitry Likhachev wrote "Letters about the Good and the Beautiful" for young, immature souls. The sixth letter is dedicated difficult question about goals and self-esteem. Many young people get entangled in the stereotypes of society and cannot find themselves among them. The author refutes the idea that one must live as an ascetic, not take care of oneself and deprive oneself of petty joys. Not at all! He only says that there should be a high goal, which may be to live life with dignity. Moreover, if a person has chosen good as his goal, then how can insurmountable failures befall him? In the world, you need to give more than receive - only then can you experience real and lasting joy. Receiving brings only short-term pleasure, which decreases each time, and a person wants more. Such a position destroys spirituality from within. By choosing spirituality, a person will be protected from many sorrows and disappointments.

resentment

D. S. Likhachev wrote “Letters about the Good and the Beautiful” so talentedly that even adults should read them. Many chapters contain a lot of things that some people understand only years later. The ninth letter, which is called "When is it worth being offended?", will help many people solve their problem. Here the author talks about resentment. He believes that there are only two reasons for such behavior: a lack of intelligence or the presence of complexes. What to do with a touchy person? It is advisable to behave with him more carefully, because in fact, touchiness is such a character trait that brings a lot of grief to its owner.

To the question of when to be offended, Dmitry Sergeevich gives a simply brilliant answer that needs to be learned by heart, like a golden rule: one should be offended only when they intentionally want to offend you. Even in this case, you should still think before you stoop to resentment. If a person simply forgot something or turned out to be inattentive, it is better to forgive him for this, because the goal was not to offend you. In this case, it should be understood that this may be the cost of age or something else.

Moral heights

The book by D. S. Likhachev "Letters about the good and the beautiful" is full of very faithful, wise thoughts. In the chapter on moral principles, he touches on the important topic of how one can judge anything. For example, we judge a city or a park by what is best and most beautiful in it. In the same way, art is valued, which we compose only from the best copies. Then how can you say anything about a person by his bad deed? It will be fair to judge him by his best deeds, and not by his shortcomings. Moral foundations determine a lot. They show how high a person has risen or how low he has fallen. Everyone has flaws, but high motives determine our spirit. The most important thing is the ideals by which a person lives and follows. Even an airplane during the flight does not rely on the air, but tends upward and, as it were, “sucks” up to the sky.

Love to read!

How do you like the summary? “Letters about the good and the beautiful” (Dmitry Likhachev) also contain a chapter on the importance of reading in the life of an individual. Love for books is a personal trait of the author's character. He places great emphasis on the role books play in a person's life. "Letters about the good and the beautiful" Dmitry Likhachev wrote after he himself read an incredible number of books. Silent teachers allow you to live several lives at once, plunge headlong into another world, try on different masks. This is a very necessary skill that develops a person comprehensively.

The author also makes a special emphasis on the fact that each person should deliberately take care of the level of his intellectual development. This will not only allow you to remain an interesting conversationalist, but also fill everyday life and the spiritual world. Literature is able to enrich a person with enormous life experience, which is simply impossible to get in one life. Dmitry Sergeevich also says that it is important to read slowly and think about the words, and not just run through them with your eyes. He understands the importance of reading modern literature, after all, the classics cannot answer all questions today. At the same time, it is very important to study it in order to understand the eternal values.

Last letter

And so our brief summary comes to an end. "Letters about the good and the beautiful" ends last letter about kindness. In this chapter, the author draws some conclusions. He says that the purpose of writing the book was not to instruct anyone, but to comprehend own experience. He puts a lot of emphasis on how much easier it is to learn on your own when teaching someone else. In addition, he does not call himself the truth in the first instance. Dmitry Likhachev conceived “Letters about the Good and the Beautiful” not only as a book for others, but also as a guide for himself, on which he himself can grow.

This chapter is dedicated to the trace in life. If you live only by household chores, then nothing will be left after you. One must be able to do good to others, because it is so simple, but how much it fills the inner world of a person! “Letters about the good and the beautiful”, the summary of which we have reviewed, is required reading for every person. This book should be read at any age, it will definitely benefit. This is the end of the summary. “Letters about the good and the beautiful” is an excellent guide to life, written by the talented D.S. Likhachev!

It is difficult to single out any plot in this book, there are only a kind of instructions and teachings of the author. It consists of several subheadings, each of which reveals the problems of a particular moral issue. Suppose, in the first letter, called "Big in the Small", the author says that everything significant is made up of small steps that are subordinated to the achievement of the main thing. At the same time, the means leading to the goal should not contradict and run counter to moral laws.

In the second letter, the main idea is “youth is the whole life”. Likhachev says that all the habits, friends, comrades, skills, knowledge gained - absolutely everything comes from this wonderful age. Likhachev calls to have as many comrades as possible, to travel and thus create memories and life lessons for himself.

He also says that you can’t spoil the fun pastime of your comrades with your dissatisfied appearance, withdraw into yourself, be an egoist.

A large role in the book is given to such a feeling as resentment. He advises just to talk to the person and find out the reason for this behavior. In no case should you pay with the same coin.

He does not forget to remind about such an unpleasant feeling as envy. The presence of it in a person, he substantiates the lack of understanding of himself, understanding of the role in this world. As soon as everything falls into place in the matter of self-determination, the feeling of envy will disappear from life.

He talks about books, about the properties of memory, kindness and many other virtues.

This book is a true source of knowledge in our modern life. Today, people rarely listen to the elders, to books, but this work deserves special attention, it is truly unique. All these tips must be put into practice and then everything will fall into place.

Letters about the good and beautiful story of creation. From "Letters about the Good and the Beautiful" by Dmitry Likhachev