According to Maxim Gorky's book "Confessing," the idea that everyone is a saint as long as Satan is asleep suggests that human goodness is a temporary state, dependent on resisting evil influences. When those influences wake, the true nature of individuals can surface, revealing their flaws and darker tendencies. This perspective emphasizes the fragile nature of virtue and the constant battle between good and evil within each person.

Gorky’s quote highlights the idea that morality is not permanently entrenched but conditioned by circumstances and inner struggles. It recognizes that everyone has the potential for both saintliness and wickedness, and that true virtue requires vigilance and self-awareness to keep the darker instincts at bay.