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A good man can be stupid and still be good. But a bad man must have brains.
Maxim Gorky
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that goodness doesn't necessarily require intelligence, while being bad often demands cunning or cleverness.

Maxim Gorky's quote highlights a profound insight into human nature: it implies that a person can be inherently good and simple-minded, yet their goodness remains valid and impactful. Conversely, it indicates that a person with malicious intent often relies on their intelligence and cunning to navigate the world, suggesting a deeper complexity in evil compared to good. This perspective raises questions about morality, intelligence, and the nature of both virtue and vice.

Themes

GoodnessIntelligenceMoralityHuman NatureEvil

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about morality and ethics, referencing this quote can help illustrate the complexities of good and bad behaviors.

More from Maxim Gorky

If it is true that only misfortune can awaken a man's soul, it is a bitter truth, one that is hard to hear and accept, and it is only natural that many people deny it and say it is better for a man to live on in a trance than to wake up to torture.
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What I'd like is to meet a man I could take off my hat to and say: "Thank you for having got born, and the longer you live the better.
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To speak the truth is the most difficult of all arts, for in its "pure" form, not connected with the interests of individuals, groups, classes, or nations, truth is almost completely unsuitable for use by the Philistine and is unacceptable to him.
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Be good, be kind, be humane, and charitable; love your fellows; console the afflicted; pardon those who have done you wrong.
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Truth doesn't always heal a wounded soul.
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Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is.
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