"What a man does defiles him, not what is done by others"

Actions springing from personal will bear a deeper weight upon one’s moral nature than any external imposition of circumstance or the deeds of others. The soul, in William Golding’s assertion, is shaped by the choices one makes, not by those imposed from outside or by the world’s behavior. When individuals act, intentionally or otherwise, these acts have consequences for the actor’s own integrity and inner character. No insult, betrayal, or societal vice can sully a person in the way that their own dishonest, cruel, or selfish actions can.

Human dignity is intimately linked to personal responsibility. It is tempting, under trials or amidst social chaos, to blame external forces for one’s distress or supposed corruption. Yet blame offers no absolution. One does not become evil or base because of malice practiced by others; only by reciprocating such malice, or through neglect of conscience, does the soul darken. This insight stands as both a warning and a comfort. The warning is clear: every act, public or secret, leaves its mark upon the doer, dishonor stains from within, and there is no true corruption save that which is chosen. The comfort is just as profound: whatever wounds life inflicts or what cruelties others practice, dignity and self-worth endure so long as personal conduct remains unsullied.

William Golding, whose works often examine the intrinsic nature of humanity, suggests that personal virtue or vice is inwardly generated, not externally bestowed or removed. The locus of moral reality, then, is self-determined conduct. In the crucible of adversity, one’s deeds reveal and refine true character. Each person carries within a sanctuary unassailable by outside actions; only by violating one’s own moral code does real defilement occur. Thus, personal agency stands at the center of ethical existence, immutable before the shifting winds of others’ behavior.