--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The sad thing is, I was discovering that…" description: "\"The sad thing is, I was discovering that you almost have to make a joke of being good to strangers. Up and down the country, these people doing their g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/danny-wallace-10686_be-good_the-sad-thing-is-i-was-discovering-that_2927558.png" --- # The sad thing is, I was discovering that you almost have… ![“The sad thing is, I was discovering that you almost have to make a joke of being good to strangers. Up and down the country, these people doing their good deeds were doubtless being seen as slightly eccentric, when in reality and in an ideal world they should be deemed the most normal people of all.” quote by Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/danny-wallace-10686_be-good_the-sad-thing-is-i-was-discovering-that_2927558.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/danny-wallace-10686_be-good_the-sad-thing-is-i-was-discovering-that_2927558.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/danny-wallace-10686_be-good_the-sad-thing-is-i-was-discovering-that_2927558.png) > “The sad thing is, I was discovering that you almost have to make a joke of being good to strangers. Up and down the country, these people doing their good deeds were doubtless being seen as slightly eccentric, when in reality and in an ideal world they should be deemed the most normal people of all.” [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good deeds often appear eccentric because society values conformity over kindness. **In simple terms:** Kindness seems odd in a conformist world. Key Takeaway Embrace kindness despite perceived oddness. Themes kindness social norms conformity human behavior perception Mood humorous insightful critical Type satirical philosophical observational When to use this quote - everyday interactions - community service - public spaces - online platforms Key Concepts psychology social expectations altruism Questions to Reflect On - Why is kindness labeled eccentric? - How can societies normalize altruistic behavior? A Different Perspective The quote may ignore cultural differences in expressing kindness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) [Discovering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovering/) [Eccentric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eccentric/) [Good deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-deeds/) [Good Strangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-strangers-4297899/) [Ideal world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideal-world/) [Joke Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke-good-1122653/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Karma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/karma/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Normal people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Slightly Eccentric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slightly-eccentric-1806497/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Strangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangers/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I think that people like the idea that fans are sort of slightly eccentric and strange, but generally I've just found them very creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-capaldi/i-think-that-people-like-the-idea-that-fans-are-sort-of-slightly/) [Peter Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-capaldi/) > [One nice thing about telling a clean joke is there's a good chance no one's heard it before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-larson/one-nice-thing-about-telling-a-clean-joke-is-there-s-a-good-chance-no/) [Doug Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-larson/) > [I think if the joke is in good taste - it's a good joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/i-think-if-the-joke-is-in-good-taste-it-s-a-good-joke/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [Comedy, in my opinion, is best when it's in the gray, and you're kind of pushing people's thoughts that they sort of had but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wolf/comedy-in-my-opinion-is-best-when-it-s-in-the-gray-and-you-re-kind-of/) [Michelle Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wolf/) > [“I wish the world had been made in six days, and knocked to pieces again in six more. 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You're a good storyteller and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/to-this-day-if-you-gave-me-1-000-i-really-can-t-stand-up-you-can-tell/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I'm aware that I should end a joke with the good part, I choose not too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tosh/i-m-aware-that-i-should-end-a-joke-with-the-good-part-i-choose-not-too/) [Daniel Tosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tosh/) > [If there's an intelligence behind the joke - - it's a good joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/if-there-s-an-intelligence-behind-the-joke-it-s-a-good-joke/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [A joke is a good camouflage. Next best comes sentiment... But the best camouflage of all - in my opinion - is the plain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/a-joke-is-a-good-camouflage-next-best-comes-sentiment-but-the-best/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [I like the sound of my voice, doesn't mean it's any good but I like it. The joke is that "all good singers like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-like-the-sound-of-my-voice-doesn-t-mean-it-s-any-good-but-i-like-it/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [The old idea that the joke was not good enough for the company has been superseded by the new aristocratic idea that the company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-old-idea-that-the-joke-was-not-good-enough-for-the-company-has/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“In the second Unzeitgemäße Betrachtung Nietzsche speaks about “individuals who form a kind of bridge over the wild stream of becoming” and live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-meier/in-the-second-unzeitgema-e-betrachtung-nietzsche-speaks-about/) [Heinrich Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-meier/) > [I unconsciously decided that, even if it wasn't an ideal world, it should be. So I painted only the ideal aspects of it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-rockwell/i-unconsciously-decided-that-even-if-it-wasn-t-an-ideal-world-it/) [Norman Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-rockwell/) > [I think in an ideal world, one would be able to do everything, however, we don't live in an ideal world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graziadei/i-think-in-an-ideal-world-one-would-be-able-to-do-everything-however/) [Michael Graziadei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graziadei/) ## More by Danny Wallace > [“...maybe sometimes it's riskier not to take a risk. Sometimes all you're guaranteeing is that things will stay the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/maybe-sometimes-it-s-riskier-not-to-take-a-risk-sometimes-all-you-re/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“And before any Christian readers get all offended - relax. I'm not saying that I'm the new Jesus. 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So I decided not to think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/i-just-think-don-t-think-if-you-think-you-ll-never-truly-get-over-her/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“Yeah, she must work round here. Lot of high class escorts i. this area. And traffic wardens, too. She's probably one or the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/yeah-she-must-work-round-here-lot-of-high-class-escorts-i-this-area/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“My wife said to me recently that she hates couples who finish each other's sentences for them. I agreed that it was annoying, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/my-wife-said-to-me-recently-that-she-hates-couples-who-finish-each/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“Denn das Einzige, was ich an der Hoffnung nicht leiden kann, das Einzige, was ich daran rundwegs ablehne, auch wenn es niemand zugeben will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/denn-das-einzige-was-ich-an-der-hoffnung-nicht-leiden-kann-das/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“It's funny. Dev had always said disposables were different. That what they contained was more special because you couldn't instantly see inside. You had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/it-s-funny-dev-had-always-said-disposables-were-different-that-what/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“Listen, um ... in case you even feel like saying hello ...' I said, and I handed something else to her My disposable camera.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/listen-um-in-case-you-even-feel-like-saying-hello-i-said-and-i-handed/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“ "I saw you and I see you every day. I greet you every day. Can you read my eyes? I miss you every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/i-saw-you-and-i-see-you-every-day-i-greet-you-every-day-can-you-read/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) > [“The words 'mainly in America' translated to me as 'this is bollocks' and I sat back in my chair with a sigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-wallace/the-words-mainly-in-america-translated-to-me-as-this-is-bollocks-and/) [Danny Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) [Explore all 57 Danny Wallace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-wallace/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. 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Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) [Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The sad thing is, I was discovering that you almost have to make a joke of being good to strangers. 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