Quotation of the Day

"Whatever a man's position may be, he is bound to take that view of human life in general that will make his own activity seem important and good. . . . Men who have been placed by fate and their own sins or mistakes in a certain position, however irregular that position may be, adopt a view of life as a whole which makes their position appear to them good and respectable."

-Leo Tolstoy, Resurrection (tr. Rosemary Evans; Penguin Books, 1966), 201.

I can think of a good many positions that might profit from being considered in light of this statement. (In fact, I do well to examine my own position in light of this statement.) For Tolstoy, there are socially acceptable forms and unacceptable forms of such positions. For example, Tolstoy likens the self-aggrandizing rich person to the robber, the commander of an army to the murderer, and the person wielding immense social power to the marauder (201).

I'm enjoying the book very much. (It was recommended to me by my wife and given to me by our good German friends.)

Justin