Like all of us sinners, General Betrishchev was endowed with many virtues and many defects. Both the one and the other were scattered through him in a sort of picturesque disorder. Self-sacrifice, magnanimity in decisive moments, courage, intelligence--and with all that, a generous mixture of self-love, ambition, vanity, petty personal ticklishness, and a good many of those things which a man simply cannot do without.

Summary

This quote conveys that General Betrishchev, just like everyone else, possessed both positive traits and flaws. These qualities coexisted in him in an unordered yet captivating manner. He exhibited virtue such as self-sacrifice, magnanimity, courage, and intelligence. However, alongside these virtues were his self-love, ambition, vanity, personal sensitivities, and other necessary but less commendable traits. This quote sheds light on the complex nature of human beings, highlighting the inherent contradictions and complexities that make up an individual's character.

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