He tries not to give offense. He likes to think of himself by nature as reasonable and conciliatory. He can duck out, prevaricate, evade the issue. He can smile enigmatically and refuse to come down on either side. He can quibble, and stand on semantics. It's a living, he thinks; but it isn't. For there comes the bald question, the one choice out of two: do you want a revolution, M. de Robespierre? Yes, damn you, damn all of you, I want it, we need it, that's what we're going to have.
The quote reflects the internal conflict of an individual who struggles with his desire to maintain peace and avoid conflict while grappling with the urgent need for change. He sees himself as reasonable and seeks to avoid taking sides, using evasion and ambiguity as tools to navigate difficult discussions. However, this approach leads him to confront a pivotal question about whether he truly supports the revolutionary changes that are necessary for society.
