Lying

 "These rules determined unequivocally that one must pay a card-sharper but need not pay a tailor, that one must not lie to men, but to women one may; that one must never deceive anyone, but a husband one may; that a insult can never be pardoned,but one may insult others, and so on."

This passage from Anna Karenina, part 3 I believe, outlines a code of conduct for Vronsky. It's interesting that lying is acceptable to the opposite sex but not to men. I try to live by the guidelines of never lying. But in discussing matters with women, it is sometimes hard not to lie, so I can sort of see what Tolstoy means here.

I think with women (and of course generalizations are bad), I at least try to be emotionally sincere. Strict, logical truth sometimes slips in social situations with women, you can have honest intentions, and that is often enough. I look forward to reading more about Tolstoy has to say philosophically about the human condition. But I am mainly reading Anna Karenina because it is just a great book, in scope and depth of human understanding (especially regarding "love").

One part that I'm finding fascinating is Alexey's (Anna's husband) jealousy is like a dark vice that he is trying not to succumb to, but failing. It seems as though is immense jealousy is preventing happiness for all parties except himself. And of course the child is going to be heavily wounded by this (perhaps emotionally). Tolstoy doesn't have much to say about children in this novel.