"I do not like to be unkind"
About this Quote
A billionaire’s gentlest power move is often a soft sentence. “I do not like to be unkind” reads like a personal preference, not a principle, and that’s exactly why it lands: it frames kindness as temperament while leaving plenty of room for hard decisions. Coming from David Rockefeller - banker, philanthropist, institutional builder, and avatar of 20th-century American corporate authority - the line functions as reputational insurance. It signals restraint without promising mercy.
The specific intent is disarming. Rockefeller isn’t claiming he is always kind; he’s saying he dislikes unkindness, a subtle dodge that keeps him morally sympathetic even when he must cut, buy, restructure, or outmaneuver. In boardrooms and public life, “unkind” is a convenient word: it turns conflict into a matter of tone, not consequence. Layoffs, hostile takeovers, political influence, union battles - these can be recast as regrettable necessities carried out by someone who, personally, would rather not be harsh.
The subtext is class-coded etiquette. For old-guard elites, civility is a form of governance: keep the voice calm, keep the gloves on, and power looks like stewardship instead of domination. It’s also a way to control the narrative: if you’re “not unkind,” critics sound overheated, even impolite, when they describe the harm.
Context matters because Rockefeller’s public identity depended on being the acceptable face of enormous, often controversial influence. This line isn’t confession; it’s branding. It asks you to judge him by demeanor, not by the ledger.
The specific intent is disarming. Rockefeller isn’t claiming he is always kind; he’s saying he dislikes unkindness, a subtle dodge that keeps him morally sympathetic even when he must cut, buy, restructure, or outmaneuver. In boardrooms and public life, “unkind” is a convenient word: it turns conflict into a matter of tone, not consequence. Layoffs, hostile takeovers, political influence, union battles - these can be recast as regrettable necessities carried out by someone who, personally, would rather not be harsh.
The subtext is class-coded etiquette. For old-guard elites, civility is a form of governance: keep the voice calm, keep the gloves on, and power looks like stewardship instead of domination. It’s also a way to control the narrative: if you’re “not unkind,” critics sound overheated, even impolite, when they describe the harm.
Context matters because Rockefeller’s public identity depended on being the acceptable face of enormous, often controversial influence. This line isn’t confession; it’s branding. It asks you to judge him by demeanor, not by the ledger.
Quote Details
| Topic | Kindness |
|---|
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