“What do you think, would not one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds?”
— Fyodor Dostoevsky
Simplified Meaning:
Imagine you make a mistake, like telling a small lie or taking something that doesn’t belong to you. This quote is asking if doing many kind and good things afterward, like helping others or being kind, can make that one small bad action disappear or be forgotten. It questions whether good actions can balance out or erase the bad ones. For example, if someone took a candy bar from a store without paying for it, but then spent weeks volunteering at a soup kitchen, helping neighbors, and donating clothes to charity, the quote asks if these good deeds make up for the one mistake of stealing. In life, everyone makes mistakes, and often people try to make up for them by doing good things. This idea can help people think about how they approach their own mistakes and the importance of doing good deeds to create a positive impact. It also invites people to reflect on forgiveness and whether acts of kindness can balance out past wrongs.
