In an interview with Rachel Martin on the podcast Wild Card (and you should listen, it’s great), Ira Glass answers the question “what truth guides your life more than any other” with the following (edited):
I don’t know the best way to put this, but it’s like I’m trying to be, like, a good boy. Like I’m trying to be… I’m just trying to show… I really am trying my hardest all the time to those around me. I’m going to show you how good I am—but not good like you’ll be impressed, just you’ll think like “oh, look, you were good”, like with a dog, like “good boy”. Like “you really tried, good boy.”
At first I found it funny, and then I found it… maybe one of the most accurate descriptions of how most people act most of the time (including me). Like, even if it’s just for myself, I just want to be a good boy.