A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.
Nelson Mandela
With most people, they are either skewed toward their head or their heart: they are either too practical or too emotional for their liking. However, the reliance on just one of these faculties is not ideal – one needs to be able to to strike the right balance. As a rule of thumb, you can start by weighing the pros and cons of a situation before arriving at a conclusion or making a decision. It is always advisable to take into account both the sentimental and pragmatic ramifications of your decisions.
That said, it is extremely rare to come across a person with both a good head and a good heart, which is what makes the ones who do such formidable personalities. In fact, it should come over as no surprise that even the most balanced individuals mess up at times! Either they end up taking those strict, unfeeling calls, or see their kindheartedness and largess being exploited ruthlessly. Keeping a stable head and heart becomes quite a challenge in such instances.
However, what sets the great apart from the good is not just how balanced their heart and mind are, but how conscious they are in their judgments. You see, sometimes doing the right thing is just not enough – you also need to reach out to those around you, and especially those you expect to benefit from your actions. This obviously takes more than just a level-headed individual; one needs to be able to express and explain their thoughts and actions lucidly. The late South African President and anti-apartheid revolutionary, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, commonly known as Nelson Mandela, once said: “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”