The sad part was

It’s plain to see that evil is the key component in governing the world. If everyone were good, there would be no politicians <...>.

Tong-Jai concluded that answering in accordance with the opinion of the majority was a requisite for getting by in life.

The repository of my brain might appear large from the outside, as if it contained an enormous supply of intelligence, but if a bright light bulb were shining in there all the time, you’d see an empty warehouse, pin-drop quiet. Better just to leave it in the dark.