“With no power to annul the elemental evil in him, though readily enough he could hide it; apprehending the good, but powerless to be it a varnish of conventionalities hiding his barbaric core”
— Herman Melville
Simplified Meaning:
Sometimes people know what is right and good, but they find it very hard to actually do those good things because deep down, their true nature is different. They can put on a mask and pretend to be good, follow social rules, and fit in with what society expects. However, beneath this polite exterior, their basic instincts and rough, selfish traits remain untouched. For example, consider a politician who always talks about honesty and kindness in public, but in private life, he might be corrupt and manipulative. People can understand and recognize what is virtuous, yet their inner instincts might drive them to act otherwise. This means that while anyone can learn to behave properly on the outside, changing the core of who they really are is much more difficult.
