Noble goals and practical realities

From Leo Tolstoy’s 17 “Rules of Life:” Wake at 5am, Help the Poor, & Only Two Brothel Visits Per Month by Colin Marshall. Tolstoy's rules were:

Wake at five o'clock
Go to bed no later than ten o'clock
Two hours permissible for sleeping during the day
Eat moderately
Avoid sweet foods
Walk for an hour every day
Visit a brothel only twice a month
Love those to whom I could be of service
Disregard all public opinion not based on reason
Only do one thing at a time
Disallow flights of imagination unless necessary
Never to show emotion
Stop caring about other people's opinion of myself
Do good things inconspicuously
Keep away from women
Suppress lust by working hard
Help those less fortunate

These were aspirations.

The man who reminds himself to not visit brothels more than twice a month, suppress lust, and keep away from women ended up with fourteen children.