"The propensity to do good things is a choice"
About this Quote
“The propensity to do good things is a choice” lands like a quiet rebuke to the way we excuse ourselves with personality labels. Cassidy, a pop figure who came up in an era that sold “good” and “bad” as brand identities, frames virtue not as a trait you’re born with but as a decision you keep making. The key word is “propensity”: he’s talking about inclination, the pull of habit, the default setting. By insisting that even our tendency toward goodness is chosen, he drags morality out of the realm of vibes and into the realm of practice.
The subtext is anti-fatalism. It pushes back on the common dodge: I’m just not wired that way; I’m not a “good person”; I have a temper; I’m selfish. Cassidy’s line argues that character isn’t a horoscope, it’s a repeated action that hardens into reputation. That’s emotionally resonant coming from someone whose public image was once curated for mass consumption: it hints at the backstage reality that decency doesn’t magically arrive with success, fame, or a carefully managed persona.
Context matters: a musician’s life is a churn of temptation, ego, and external validation. In that environment, “good things” can sound small but pointed - returning calls, owning mistakes, treating people below the marquee with respect, showing up when there’s no applause. The sentence is plain on purpose. It’s not asking you to admire morality; it’s daring you to take responsibility for it.
The subtext is anti-fatalism. It pushes back on the common dodge: I’m just not wired that way; I’m not a “good person”; I have a temper; I’m selfish. Cassidy’s line argues that character isn’t a horoscope, it’s a repeated action that hardens into reputation. That’s emotionally resonant coming from someone whose public image was once curated for mass consumption: it hints at the backstage reality that decency doesn’t magically arrive with success, fame, or a carefully managed persona.
Context matters: a musician’s life is a churn of temptation, ego, and external validation. In that environment, “good things” can sound small but pointed - returning calls, owning mistakes, treating people below the marquee with respect, showing up when there’s no applause. The sentence is plain on purpose. It’s not asking you to admire morality; it’s daring you to take responsibility for it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Ethics & Morality |
|---|
More Quotes by Shaun
Add to List









