Orwell on Sainthood

"No doubt alcohol, tobacco, and so forth, are things that a saint must avoid, but sainthood is also a thing that human beings must avoid." - George Orwell

A quote from an essay by Orwell on Gandhi. I do not agree with much of what Orwell says in this essay about sainthood. But it is undeniable that Orwell was extremely talented at transforming his thoughts into words. Also, it is these days generally agreed that tobacco is not to be avoided just by saints but by the layman as well. As for alcohol, I think it may be tolerated in moderate quantities.

Orwell has some very interesting points to make about the effectiveness non-violence in the face of brutal suppression.