Liberal by Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin. Short summary

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The liberal, on the advice of knowledgeable people, enclosed his ideals within limits. Life became more comfortable, but imperceptibly the ideals disappeared altogether. The liberal tried to act as best he could, but nothing came of it.

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The liberal cared about everything. He felt it his duty to warn everyone about the disastrous consequences of any particular enterprise. The people around him were not angry at him, they treated him with indulgence.

The public, according to the liberal, must have three virtues: ideals, security, and self-activity. The liberal did not understand people who were not responsible for their own lives. He tried to indoctrinate his idealistic thoughts into those around him. The liberal was not taken seriously because his ideas seemed vague.

The liberal turned to smart people for help. They persuaded him to act within certain limits. He set some limits: he will either hide, or snatch, or cut. All became happy, it is convenient to act as far as possible.

After a while, they advised the liberal to abandon his ideals, leaving only convenience. So the liberal betrayed his ideals, for which he once received a spit from an unknown person, who immediately fled.