"Many people genuinely do not want to be saints, and it is probable that some who achieve or aspire to sainthood have never felt much temptation to be human beings"

George Orwell's observation draws a sharp contrast between the pursuit of sainthood, understood as moral or spiritual perfection, and the acceptance of ordinary human frailty. He suggests that many individuals are not drawn to the idea of becoming saints because such a pursuit often demands the renunciation of basic human impulses, desires, and flaws. Rather than glorifying moral perfection as a universal aspiration, Orwell points out that for many, the complexities and contradictions of being human are preferable to the severe discipline and self-denial associated with saintliness.

Simultaneously, Orwell adds a more provocative insight about those who do strive for or achieve sainthood. He implies that some saints, or aspiring saints, may lack a meaningful connection with their own humanity. That is, their journey towards virtue is less about overcoming temptation or personal challenge, and more about an inherent distance from the messiness and weaknesses that define most people. Their sanctity, in this reading, may be less admirable because it arises not from a struggle with the human condition but rather from an absence of it, a kind of coldness or detachment from ordinary life.

By framing sainthood and humanity as opposing forces, Orwell questions assumptions about virtue. He intimates that true moral greatness might require deeply experiencing and wrestling with human limitations, rather than simply denying or avoiding them. This perspective values authenticity and self-knowledge over rigid asceticism. Orwell’s words challenge us not to uncritically admire those who seem perfect, but to reflect on the possibility that genuine virtue grows from confronting temptation and understanding one’s own frailty. Ultimately, he celebrates the depth and richness of being human, with all its temptations, imperfections, and realities, over the sterile pursuit of an unreachable and perhaps inhuman ideal.