Reason #353: The Heart of the Matter
Having a “good heart” seems to be a great cover for one’s sins. He may be a philandering, teetotaling, good-for-nothing SOB, but he’s got a good heart. Ever heard that one? Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson sang about the “good hearted women in love with the good-timin man.” Why is having a “good heart” such a great excuse for having an empty head? The good hearted bandits become folk heros, while roaming around the country relieving folks of their hard-earned possessions. Robin Hood was an outlaw with a good heart. He stole from the rich in order to give to the poor. Doesn’t excuse the stealing, but makes his reputation in history more of a hero than a heal. What does it even mean to have a “good heart?” By normal description it would seem to mean someone who is empathetic and harmful only to his or herself. Someone who may be flawed, but is not also mean-spirited. When it comes down to the bare facts, even the most seemingly perfect among us is flagrantly flawed. But that only matters when one tries to compensate by overly competitive and unkind, maybe even ruthless, actions that are the opposite of good-heartedness. Which flawed person would you rather be? The reason that the meanest among us sometimes get all the gold is because they place their own comfort and material gain above just being nice. Good hearted people may be some of the most f***ed-up humans on the planet, but at least they are nice. At least they realize that they really aren’t any better than the next guy, so why try to act like it? I would rather be a loser with a big heart (in fact, maybe that is exactly what I am!), than be the rich SOB who only gives a crap about his golf handicap. I guess nearing the age of 50 it is high time to choose the path of the good-heart over pursuit of that pot of gold that I often assumed was waiting out there for me. That assumption has led me to a lot of unneeded strife. Really, if you are worried about your place in human history, my advice is to just be a good hearted person and the rest will take care of itself.
Tags: A Good Heart