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Meaning
The speaker suggests that the person cared more about how kindness looked than about the actual act of being kind. It points to a preference for style, grace, or performance over genuine generosity. The sentence also implies a certain distance or skepticism toward that person's motives.
When It Was Said
Not documented yet.
Who It Was Said To
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Historical Context
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Source
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Original Language & Translation
Originally said in English.
Did They Really Say It?
No source found on Wikiquote; the quote is listed as attributed.
Did You Know?
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About Donna Tartt
American novelist
Donna Tartt is an American novelist known for her three novels, The Secret History, The Little Friend, and The Goldfinch. Her work has made her a notable figure in contemporary American fiction. The Secret History appeared in 1992, followed by The Little Friend in 2002 and The Goldfinch in 2013. The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was later adapted into a 2019 film. In 2014, Time magazine included her on its list of the 100 Most Influential People.
More from Donna Tartt (128 quotes) →More quotes by Donna Tartt
- “There's an expectation these days that novels - like any other consumer product - should be made on a product…”Donna Tartt
- “Why am I made the way I am? Why do I care about all the wrong things, and nothing at all for the right ones?…”Donna Tartt
- “…I’ve come to realize that the only truths that matter to me are the ones I don’t, and can’t, understand. Wha…”Donna Tartt
- “And, lying on my bed in some biscuit-colored hotel room in Nice, with a balcony facing the Promenade des Angl…”Donna Tartt
Kindness: more sayings
- “We must go out into a desert of some kind (your backyard will do) and come into a personal experience of the…”Brennan Manning
- “I really like the group tour better than going it alone. First of all, it kind of takes the pressure off a li…”Veronica Roth
- “Although the big word on the left is 'compassion,' the big agenda on the left is dependency.”Thomas Sowell
READ THE SOURCE
Books by Donna Tartt
The Secret History
2004
The Goldfinch
2013