Cover of A Confession

Book · 2005 · Philosophy

A Confession

by Leo Tolstoy, Aylmer Maude · Brought up by 1 person on 1 podcast

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Now, Toltoy wrote a book called Confessions um or Confession. I don't remember if it's singular or plural. And uh it's relatively short book. It's very much worth reading.
Jordan Peterson · The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · Sep 2026 Listen at 10:12

Why people recommend it

Leo Tolstoy's A Confession is a profound and intensely personal philosophical work detailing the author's harrowing spiritual crisis and his ultimate search for meaning. On The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, Jordan Peterson recommended Tolstoy's text as a worthwhile and relatively brief meditation on success, suffering, and existential recovery. Peterson noted that the volume is only about one hundred pages long, making it remarkably accessible for readers wishing to complete it in a single sitting. During a subsequent episode of The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, Peterson discussed the book again with guest Alex O'Connor. In that conversation, Peterson elaborated on how Tolstoy wrestled deeply with the tension between reason and religious faith. Peterson praised the concise nature of the writing and emphasized its enduring relevance for anyone navigating intellectual doubt and the search for authentic purpose. Listeners and hosts alike have found value in Tolstoy's honest depiction of despair, viewing the narrative as an essential guide for individuals confronting their own existential questions and striving to rebuild their foundational beliefs in a complex modern world.

Every mention

2 quotes from 2 episodes
Jordan Peterson Now, Toltoy wrote a book called Confessions um or Confession. I don't remember if it's singular or plural.… 2
Recommended
“Now, Toltoy wrote a book called Confessions um or Confession. I don't remember if it's singular or plural. And uh it's relatively short book. It's very much worth reading.”
Discussed
“right to TL sto wrote about this in his confession he sort of he was he was I I love it it's like 100 pages long you can you can read it in noted”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Jordan Peterson, Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).