"Our body is a machine for living. It is organized for that, it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let it defend itself"

Leo Tolstoy’s statement treats the human body as a remarkable, self-sufficient system, designed with the innate purpose of supporting and sustaining life. He draws an analogy between the body and a well-crafted machine, emphasizing its natural efficiency and purposeful organization. The human body, according to Tolstoy, is not just a vessel for existence, but a perfectly tuned apparatus that inherently knows how to survive, grow, adapt, and protect itself. Living is not an accidental feature but the central function embedded in the very architecture of our being.

By encouraging an attitude of letting life “go on in it unhindered,” Tolstoy argues for respecting and trusting this organic wisdom. He implies that outside interference, be it excessive intervention, unnecessary medical procedures, or perhaps even psychological resistance, may disrupt this natural flow. Allowing the body’s processes to operate on their own accord, as evolution or nature intended, is to honor its essential capability for self-regulation and defense. The phrase “let it defend itself” acknowledges the body’s built-in protective mechanisms: from the immune system combating pathogens to the regenerative powers manifest in healing wounds. Trusting these capacities is, in Tolstoy’s view, an act of recognizing the body’s sovereignty and intelligence.

Underlying the statement is a call for humility and restraint. Rather than believing humans must always control, adjust, and override the body’s signals, Tolstoy promotes a philosophy of acceptance and support for its natural course. It is not a passive acceptance of suffering, but rather a respect for the intrinsic order and resilience of human physiology. In this light, health is neither a product of constant vigilance nor external maintenance alone, but a harmonious balance achieved when we allow our bodies to fulfill their designed roles.

Tolstoy’s perspective challenges modern attitudes that seek to dominate or excessively manage the body, suggesting we look deeper, trust more, and interfere less, fostering an intimate partnership with our own physical existence.