“We are shocked by thieves taking pride in their clever touch, prostitutes in their depravity and murderers in their callousness. But it is shocking only because the atmosphere of the circles they move in is restricted, and - what matters most - we are on the outside. But isn't the same thing happening when rich men take pride in their wealth (which is theft), military commanders in their victories (which are murder) and rulers in their power (which is violence)? We do not see them as people who corrupt the concept of life, or good and evil, in order to justify their own situation, but only because the circles of people who share these corrupt concepts are wider, and we belong to them.”

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Originally said in English.

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About Leo Tolstoy

Russian novelist and philosopher of the 19th century, Tolstoy is best known for his monumental works *War and Peace* and *Anna Karenina*, which explore moral and social questions with psychological depth. His later years were devoted to ethical and religious writings, advocating for nonviolence and a return to simple living.

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"We are shocked by thieves taking pride in their clever touch, prostit…" — Leo Tolstoy | Daily Quotes