--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not believe I am exaggerating in…" description: "\"I do not believe I am exaggerating in affirming that the empire of Russia is a country whose inhabitants are the most miserable on earth, because they ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/marquis-de-custine-43872_affirming_i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-af_2921528.png" --- # I do not believe I am exaggerating in affirming that the… ![“I do not believe I am exaggerating in affirming that the empire of Russia is a country whose inhabitants are the most miserable on earth, because they suffer at one and the same time the evils of barbarism and of civilization.” quote by Marquis de Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/marquis-de-custine-43872_affirming_i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-af_2921528.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/marquis-de-custine-43872_affirming_i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-af_2921528.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/marquis-de-custine-43872_affirming_i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-af_2921528.png) > “I do not believe I am exaggerating in affirming that the empire of Russia is a country whose inhabitants are the most miserable on earth, because they suffer at one and the same time the evils of barbarism and of civilization.” [Marquis de Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Russia is portrayed as a paradox where barbarism and civilization coexist, causing deep misery. **In simple terms:** Russia mixes barbarism and civilization, causing suffering. Key Takeaway Recognize the complexities within societies. Themes politics culture paradox misery civilization barbarism Mood critical reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - policy making - education - human rights advocacy Key Concepts historical analysis social critique Questions to Reflect On - What factors contribute to societal paradoxes? - How can reforms address such contradictions? A Different Perspective The view may be overly pessimistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barbarism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarism/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [“The welkin is blue yet in agony, The air and the water has made a pair, As the love was unfaithful and the earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-sarraf/the-welkin-is-blue-yet-in-agony-the-air-and-the-water-has-made-a-pair/) J. Sarraf > [Even though I now know that it's likely the Earth will suffer through mega-volcanoes or meteor strikes that could take out millions or billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/even-though-i-now-know-that-it-s-likely-the-earth-will-suffer-through/) [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) > [“Wherever man has left his footprint in the long ascent from barbarism to civilization we will find the hoofprint of the horse beside it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moore/wherever-man-has-left-his-footprint-in-the-long-ascent-from-barbarism/) John Moore > [From barbarism to civilization requires a century; from civilization to barbarism needs but a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/from-barbarism-to-civilization-requires-a-century-from-civilization/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [The age in which we live can only be characterized as one of barbarism. Our civilization is in the process not only of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alva-myrdal/the-age-in-which-we-live-can-only-be-characterized-as-one-of/) [Alva Myrdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alva-myrdal/) > [We have no idea how much the government knows and how much the CIA even knows about average citizens. The government is not supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/we-have-no-idea-how-much-the-government-knows-and-how-much-the-cia/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [Every vice is only an exaggeration of a necessary and virtuous function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-vice-is-only-an-exaggeration-of-a-necessary-and-virtuous/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Tis a rule of manners to avoid exaggeration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/tis-a-rule-of-manners-to-avoid-exaggeration/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The world loves to tell you how difficult things are, and the world's not exaggerating. But difficult doesn't mean impossible, and out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/the-world-loves-to-tell-you-how-difficult-things-are-and-the-world-s/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) > [No matter how you feel about your extended family or family gatherings you will be attending. This is because now the ultimate reason for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/no-matter-how-you-feel-about-your-extended-family-or-family/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [I never could tell a joke. I just started talking to the audience, and when the drunks would yell, "Hey, when do the broads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-never-could-tell-a-joke-i-just-started-talking-to-the-audience-and/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [It is only a short step from exaggerating what we can find in the world to exaggerating our power to remake the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/it-is-only-a-short-step-from-exaggerating-what-we-can-find-in-the/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [I've told you for the fifty-thousandth time, stop exaggerating. Losers are people who are afraid of losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/i-ve-told-you-for-the-fifty-thousandth-time-stop-exaggerating-losers/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I think I am generally prone to exaggerating characters, taking them to a ridiculous extent. But you do also meet those people in real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-davis/i-think-i-am-generally-prone-to-exaggerating-characters-taking-them/) [Julia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-davis/) > [In the age of social media, everyone's a newspaper columnist, exaggerating what they think and feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/in-the-age-of-social-media-everyone-s-a-newspaper-columnist/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) ## More by Marquis de Custine > [In Russia, whatever be the appearance of things, violence and arbitrary rule is at the bottom of them all. Tyranny rendered calm by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/in-russia-whatever-be-the-appearance-of-things-violence-and-arbitrary/) [Marquis de Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) > [The love of their country is with them only a mode of flattering its master; as soon as they think that master can no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/the-love-of-their-country-is-with-them-only-a-mode-of-flattering-its/) [Marquis De Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) > [Grace is always natural, though that does not prevent its being often used to hide a lie. The rude shocks and uncomfortably constraining influences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/grace-is-always-natural-though-that-does-not-prevent-its-being-often/) [Marquis de Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) > [What annoyances are more painful than those of which we cannot complain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/what-annoyances-are-more-painful-than-those-of-which-we-cannot/) [Marquis de Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) > [In Russian administration, minuteness does not exclude disorder. Much trouble is taken to attain unimportant ends, and those employed believe they can never do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/in-russian-administration-minuteness-does-not-exclude-disorder-much/) [Marquis de Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) > [Grace is always natural, though that does not prevent its being often used to hide a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/grace-is-always-natural-though-that-does-not-prevent-its-being-often-2/) [Marquis de Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) > [The circumstances of human society are too complicated to be submitted to the rigor of mathematical calculation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/the-circumstances-of-human-society-are-too-complicated-to-be/) [Marquis de Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) > [Nations have always good reasons for being what they are, and the best of all is that they cannot be otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/nations-have-always-good-reasons-for-being-what-they-are-and-the-best/) [Marquis de Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) [Explore all 9 Marquis de Custine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) ## More Affirming quotes > [I don't think that writing, real writing, has much to do with affirming belief--if anything it causes rifts and gaps in belief which make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-evenson/i-don-t-think-that-writing-real-writing-has-much-to-do-with-affirming/) [Brian Evenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-evenson/) > [Change your thoughts, change your life. —LAO TZU When I was fighting depression, I remember hearing this expression and not understanding it at first.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/change-your-thoughts-change-your-life-lao-tzu-when-i-was-fighting/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Where a generation ago people felt entitled to a chance at education, they now feel entitled to the credential affirming that they have completed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-henry-iii/where-a-generation-ago-people-felt-entitled-to-a-chance-at-education/) [William A. Henry III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-henry-iii/) > [To create something beautiful about despair or out of a feeling of despair is for me the most hopeful life affirming thing a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/to-create-something-beautiful-about-despair-or-out-of-a-feeling-of/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [“By affirming that all 'meaning,' every assertion about the significance of life and reality, must be judged by reference to a brief succession of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/by-affirming-that-all-meaning-every-assertion-about-the-significance/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [It feels intimate and life affirming to me when someone tweets things that appear to just be insane thoughts they had and typed out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-gonzalez/it-feels-intimate-and-life-affirming-to-me-when-someone-tweets-things/) [Mira Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-gonzalez/) > [ \[F\]or academic men to be happy, the universe would have to take shape. All of philosophy has no other goal: it is a matter… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bataille/f-or-academic-men-to-be-happy-the-universe-would-have-to-take-shape/) [Georges Bataille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bataille/) > [It is so inspiring to see a new group coming together not to focus on a particular war or weapons system, but on all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/it-is-so-inspiring-to-see-a-new-group-coming-together-not-to-focus-on/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [I think we're in a new era where the advancing tide is towards human unity, where people all around the world want to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-kucinich/i-think-we-re-in-a-new-era-where-the-advancing-tide-is-towards-human/) [Dennis Kucinich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-kucinich/) > [Despite two decisions, in 2008 and 2010, by the U.S. Supreme Court unequivocally affirming that the Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees an individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/despite-two-decisions-in-2008-and-2010-by-the-u-s-supreme-court/) [Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/) > [To be honest, I am not theatre-trained and though I am confident in my skill set, to do theatre requires a better-tuned set of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamlyn-tomita/to-be-honest-i-am-not-theatre-trained-and-though-i-am-confident-in-my/) [Tamlyn Tomita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamlyn-tomita/) > [The fact that you have a policy of such consequence directly affecting millions of people and you have a legal question of great consequence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-verrilli-jr/the-fact-that-you-have-a-policy-of-such-consequence-directly/) [Donald Verrilli Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-verrilli-jr/) > [Action eradicates fear. No matter what you fear,--- positive, self-affirming action can diminish or completely cancel that which you are fearful of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-victor-hansen/action-eradicates-fear-no-matter-what-you-fear-positive-self/) [Mark Victor Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-victor-hansen/) > [Coming out to gays is a way of affirming sanity and self-worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weinberg/coming-out-to-gays-is-a-way-of-affirming-sanity-and-self-worth/) [George Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weinberg/) > [“we are affirming our trust that creation means well within us all, and that whatever painful growth and change may lie ahead, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-silf/we-are-affirming-our-trust-that-creation-means-well-within-us-all-and/) [Margaret Silf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-silf/) Browse all 167 Affirming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do not believe I am exaggerating in affirming that the empire of Russia is a country whose inhabitants are the most miserable on earth, because they suffer at one and the same time the evils of barbarism and of civilization.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marquis de Custine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-affirming-that-the-empire-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Affirming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-affirming-that-the-empire-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/marquis-de-custine-43872_affirming_i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-af_2921528.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/marquis-de-custine-43872_affirming_i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-af_2921528.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/marquis-de-custine-43872_affirming_i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-af_2921528.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I do not believe I am exaggerating in affirming that the empire of Russia is a country whose inhabitants are…” — Marquis de Custine", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marquis de Custine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I do not believe I am...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-affirming-that-the-empire-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/i-do-not-believe-i-am-exaggerating-in-affirming-that-the-empire-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```