Some of the most valuable lessons life has to offer are those revealed by a contrast with common expectations. It is, for example, when one discovers that true generosity does not always present itself in a generous guise; or, conversely, that a violence, an enormous evil, lies hidden beneath the best of dispositions. Such experiences teach us a great deal about the essential nature of people and their intentions. Through them, one learns to admire and to despise in an unconventional way—but in a more dignified manner that values what is truly valuable.