it's much better to do good in a way that no one knows anything about it.

The line expresses a moral ideal closely associated with Tolstoy’s later ethical and religious writings: that genuine goodness should be pursued for its own sake rather than for reputation, praise, or social advantage. Doing good “in a way that no one knows” emphasizes humility and inner sincerity, suggesting that public recognition can corrupt altruism by turning it into self-display. The thought also aligns with a broader Christian-inflected critique of vanity and hypocrisy: moral action is most trustworthy when it is detached from the desire to be seen as virtuous. In this sense, the quote points to an inward standard of conscience rather than an outward standard of applause.