Oh, but I think that thoughtfulness and manners are everything.
John Dewey reminded us that the value of what students do 'resides in its connection with a stimulation of greater thoughtfulness, not in the greater strain it imposes.
...but anyone with the time and the inclination can acquire technical proficiency. To achieve greatness, though, that requires artistry. That requires imagination and thoughtfulness...
There's been a thoughtfulness to everything I do. Even the stupidest things I do have some kind of point.
If there were one word that could act as a standard of conduct for one's entire life, perhaps it would be 'thoughtfulness.