It has always seemed strange to me... The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second. John Steinbeck
About This Quote

Men are often hard-hearted, hard-heartedness is admired in men. Men are competitive, the trait that makes them great is competitiveness. Men are honest, but have to have it both ways, they must lie to one another, they have to manipulate each other. This quote means that because of our system, we admire men who are hard-hearted and don’t do what they say they will do.

We feel sympathy for men who cheat and take advantage of others. Therefore, we detest honesty and tell ourselves that such qualities as kindness and generosity are the concomitants of failure.

Source: Cannery Row

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