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About this quote

What does it mean?
Kindness is often misattributed to character, ignoring hidden effort, while bad people are rewarded for not doing evil.
In plain terms
Kindness is undervalued; badness sometimes gets credit.
What can you take from it?
Recognize hidden effort behind kindness.

Where it applies

  • workplace
  • social interactions

Putting it to work

  • explicit appreciation
  • fair evaluation

Questions to consider

  • How can we better acknowledge quiet kindness?
  • What systems reward bad behavior?

Another view

Not all kindness is hidden; some is obvious.

More from Honore de Balzac

  1. L'homme qui peut empreindre perpetuellement la pensee dans le fait est un homme de genie; mais l'homme qui a le plus de genie ne le deploie pas a tous les inst…

    Permalink to quote #71
  2. Cette bonhomie apparente qui seduit les nouveaux venus et n'empeche aucune trahison, qui se permet et justifie tout, qui jette les hauts cris a une blessure et…

    Permalink to quote #73
  3. Les meres de famille devraient rechercher de pareils hommes pour leurs filles: l'Esprit est protecteur comme la Divinite, le Desenchantement est perspicace com…

    Permalink to quote #70

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