Tolstoy isn't simply saying self-improvement comes first—he's observing that we're drawn to grand causes precisely *because* they exempt us from personal reckoning. It's easier to petition for justice than to examine our own small cruelties; easier to champion systemic change than to break a petty habit. A person might genuinely believe in environmental conservation while remaining unwilling to acknowledge the resentment they harbor toward a family member—and the irony is that the latter actually lies within their power. The quote's bite comes from recognizing that we mistake moral intention for moral action, and that our grandest visions often serve as escape hatches from the uncomfortable work of becoming better versions of ourselves.