Leo Tolstoy
Circle of Reading
Translated by Dmitry Fadeyev

March 20

The one who lives to fulfill God’s will cannot be sensitive about other people’s judgements of him.

1

Our thoughts should be such that we would have if everyone could see what is happening in our soul.

— Seneca

2

Live openly.

— Auguste Comte

3

It is not good to conceal bad deeds, but it is even worse to do them openly and to be proud of them.

4

Shame before others is a good feeling, but best of all is shame before yourself.

5

Nothing is a surer indicator of the current stage of a human being’s moral progress than what he is and is not ashamed of.

6

Do not hide anything when asked, but do not speak about your bad deeds unless you have to.

7

How good it would be if people’s fear before God was as strong as their fear before other people. A human being tries to hide his bad deeds from others; but you cannot hide them from God: you have to not do them.

8

You can hide things from people, but not from God.

— A saying

9

The things that people try to hide are almost always bad.

10

The only thing you should hide are your good deeds.

11

For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed; nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

— Luke 8:17


Live in such a way that you have neither the need to hide anything, nor the desire to show off your life’s deeds.