I think Solzhenitsyn's point here is about people who lie to themselves. In a way, people who do that revert to being no different to animals, acting on instin

I think Solzhenitsyn's point here is about people who lie to themselves. In a way, people who do that revert to being no different to animals, acting on instinct, in no way in control and easily controlled by others. His point is that if you live a repressive society where you must lie to survive or to get ahead, and where taking a stand will achieve nothing other than destroy yourself, at the very least don't lie to yourself, to quote the piece: say plainly "I am cattle, I am a coward, I seek only warmth and to eat my fill." Now obviously he intended this in part as a snide remark, and he would have hoped people would do more than this, but also I think it was getting to the crux of his point that this is still better.