--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You got the good heart. Underneath all…" description: "\"“You got the good heart. Underneath all the other stuff. Good heart is eighty-five percent of everything in life.' ... 'What is the other fifteen perce..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46d/michael-chabon-627_good-heart_you-got-the-good-heart-underneath-all-th_1472820.jpg" --- # You got the good heart. Underneath all the other stuff… ![“You got the good heart. Underneath all the other stuff. Good heart is eighty-five percent of everything in life.' ... 'What is the other fifteen percent?' Nat said. 'Just out of curiosity?' 'Politeness,' Mr. Jones said without hesitation. 'And keeping a level head.” quote by Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46d/michael-chabon-627_good-heart_you-got-the-good-heart-underneath-all-th_1472820.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46d/michael-chabon-627_good-heart_you-got-the-good-heart-underneath-all-th_1472820.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46d/michael-chabon-627_good-heart_you-got-the-good-heart-underneath-all-th_1472820.jpg) > ““You got the good heart. Underneath all the other stuff. Good heart is eighty-five percent of everything in life.' ... 'What is the other fifteen percent?' Nat said. 'Just out of curiosity?' 'Politeness,' Mr. Jones said without hesitation. 'And keeping a level head.”” [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A good heart is essential, but politeness and a level head complete the formula for a balanced life. **In simple terms:** Kindness plus courtesy and calmness makes life whole. Key Takeaway Cultivate kindness, courtesy, and composure. Themes character ethics balance humanity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal relationships - leadership - conflict resolution Key Concepts virtue ethics emotional intelligence social harmony Questions to Reflect On - What role does courtesy play in your daily interactions? - How do you maintain calm under pressure? A Different Perspective Politeness can be perceived as insincere in some cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-heart/) ## Related quotes > [Eighty percent of my life is normal like any other mother. I worry about my children, if they're doing all right. 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Neddermeyer > [Life is ten percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/life-is-ten-percent-what-happens-to-you-and-90-percent-how-you/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [Ninety percent of life is just showing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/ninety-percent-of-life-is-just-showing-up/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [“Nowadays, people do not live fully, and they get only about 20 percent out of their lives. This hard-to-get 20 percent of life follows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/qiguang-zhao/nowadays-people-do-not-live-fully-and-they-get-only-about-20-percent/) [Qiguang Zhao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/qiguang-zhao/) > [“Let me tell you something, honey. 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I don't get much time to go out with my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-ko/golf-is-like-99-9-percent-of-my-life-and-then-there-s-school-i-don-t/) [Lydia Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-ko/) > [Ten percent of life is what happens; the other 90 percent is what you do about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuley-boteach/ten-percent-of-life-is-what-happens-the-other-90-percent-is-what-you/) [Shmuley Boteach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuley-boteach/) > [Ninety-nine percent of my life is still completely common. I do have a golden helicopter. I fly it to Malibu. But other than that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/ninety-nine-percent-of-my-life-is-still-completely-common-i-do-have-a/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) ## More by Michael Chabon > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Anyway, it's a pretty good story," I said. "You have to admit." "Yeah?" He crumpled up the Kleenex, having dispatched the solitary tear. "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/anyway-it-s-a-pretty-good-story-i-said-you-have-to-admit-yeah-he/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [There were so many Pittsburgh poets in my hallway that if, at that instant, a meteorite had come smashing through my roof, there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/there-were-so-many-pittsburgh-poets-in-my-hallway-that-if-at-that/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Badass.'" My grandfather sampled the flavor of the word. It did not seem to revolt him, but it was nothing he needed ever to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/badass-my-grandfather-sampled-the-flavor-of-the-word-it-did-not-seem/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [See you in the funny papers," he said. Jaunty, he reminded himself; always jaunty. In my panache is their hope for salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/see-you-in-the-funny-papers-he-said-jaunty-he-reminded-himself-always/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“I didn't want to be left alone with Timothy, not because I was afraid of him but because I was afraid that somebody would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/i-didn-t-want-to-be-left-alone-with-timothy-not-because-i-was-afraid/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“He had already seized this particular day once, but he was prepared, if need be, to go ahead and seize the motherfucker all over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/he-had-already-seized-this-particular-day-once-but-he-was-prepared-if/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“We figure he must have let him out. The perpetrator, I mean. He's blind and we figure he just wandered off and maybe got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/we-figure-he-must-have-let-him-out-the-perpetrator-i-mean-he-s-blind/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Then I reminded myself that I was always willing to listen to arguments in favor of avoiding an unpleasant chore, and I shook my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/then-i-reminded-myself-that-i-was-always-willing-to-listen-to/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Love great first lines and paragraphs. From The Yiddish Policemen's Union: Nine months Landsman's been flopping at the Hotel Zamenhof without any of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/love-great-first-lines-and-paragraphs-from-the-yiddish-policemen-s/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Life blew in gusts from the hole in the side of the elephant with a rank smell and a comic flatulence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/life-blew-in-gusts-from-the-hole-in-the-side-of-the-elephant-with-a/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Not only would I never want to belong to any club that would have me for a member--if elected I would wear street shoes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/not-only-would-i-never-want-to-belong-to-any-club-that-would-have-me/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [That's the best thing about writing, when you're in that zone, you're porous, ready to absorb the solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/that-s-the-best-thing-about-writing-when-you-re-in-that-zone-you-re/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Most science fiction seemed to be written for people who already liked science fiction; I wanted to write stories for anyone, anywhere, living at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/most-science-fiction-seemed-to-be-written-for-people-who-already/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [ “For as long as I could remember, I'd been making vague and confident assurances that any day I would finish the thing \[my book\].… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/for-as-long-as-i-could-remember-i-d-been-making-vague-and-confident/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) [Explore all 436 Michael Chabon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) ## More Good heart quotes > [I've always believed that humans are good at heart. But there's always the exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carlson/i-ve-always-believed-that-humans-are-good-at-heart-but-there-s-always/) [Amy Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carlson/) > [A great smile is a wonderful asset, but a good heart is pure gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/a-great-smile-is-a-wonderful-asset-but-a-good-heart-is-pure-gold/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [“Despite everything, I believe people are really good at heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/despite-everything-i-believe-people-are-really-good-at-heart/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [I'm a good man with a good heart had a tough time, got a rough start But I finally learned to let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-a-good-man-with-a-good-heart-had-a-tough-time-got-a-rough-start/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [“Though I could agree with him that Miss Gamache had a good heart, I couldn't read her book without wanting to plunge an ice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-keenan/though-i-could-agree-with-him-that-miss-gamache-had-a-good-heart-i/) [Joe Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-keenan/) > [A good heart is better than all the heads in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-good-heart-is-better-than-all-the-heads-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Good Hearts always easily get broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/the-good-hearts-always-easily-get-broken/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [My belief is that the various religious traditions have great potential to increase compassion, the sense of caring for one another, and the spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/my-belief-is-that-the-various-religious-traditions-have-great/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [In life, if you are intelligent then you will be admired but if you are prominent then you are envied meanwhile if you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeka/in-life-if-you-are-intelligent-then-you-will-be-admired-but-if-you/) [Jeka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeka/) > [Make your heart like a lake, with calm, still surface, and great depths of kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/make-your-heart-like-a-lake-with-calm-still-surface-and-great-depths/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [In my life, I'm just looking for that life of integrity that my father had. I have a good heart; I'm not a heartbreaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnathon-schaech/in-my-life-i-m-just-looking-for-that-life-of-integrity-that-my-father/) [Johnathon Schaech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnathon-schaech/) > [“The old woman took the umbrella, gratefully, and smiled her thanks. “You’ve a good heart,” she told him. “Sometimes that’s enough to see you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-old-woman-took-the-umbrella-gratefully-and-smiled-her-thanks-you/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Borrachinha' boxes better Vettori. Vettori throws good strikes, he's fast, has rhythm, good heart and good submissions, he fights well in all areas, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-rodrigo-nogueira/borrachinha-boxes-better-vettori-vettori-throws-good-strikes-he-s/) [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-rodrigo-nogueira/) > [“There's no happy ever after. I'm not a bad guy with a good heart, this is no fantasy. If you knew who I was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-finn/there-s-no-happy-ever-after-i-m-not-a-bad-guy-with-a-good-heart-this/) Scarlett Finn > [I think people generally have a good heart and the intention to help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-kompany/i-think-people-generally-have-a-good-heart-and-the-intention-to-help/) [Vincent Kompany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-kompany/) [Browse all 378 Good heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You got the good heart. Underneath all the other stuff. Good heart is eighty-five percent of everything in life.' ... 'What is the other fifteen percent?' Nat said. 'Just out of curiosity?' 'Politeness,' Mr. Jones said without hesitation. 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