Hearts of Gold

People who are surprised to discover that cranky old misfits and hermits often turn out to have hearts of gold miss the obvious truth that their lot is the fate inevitably befalling those with hearts of gold.


People who learn to project a facade of golden-heartedness make out far better. Well-admired, they never gnarl. Of course, a facade is only a facade. Genuinely kind people aren't out for themselves, so they don't invest a whit of concern into the image they project (caring about other people doesn't leave room for crafty personal branding). I'm extremely suspicious of carefully-branded people, even if - especially if! - their brand is loving kindness.

Once again: there's a huge difference between wanting to sing and wanting to be a singer.