I used to say I wanted somebody funny and intelligent, but kindness is the most important quality in a man.

Deeley contrasts youthful or surface-level preferences—humor and intelligence—with a more mature criterion for partnership: kindness. The quote suggests a recalibration of values that often comes with experience, when charm and wit are recognized as insufficient without empathy, patience, and consideration. By framing kindness as “the most important quality,” she elevates it from a pleasant add-on to a foundational trait that shapes how a person treats a partner and others. The line also implicitly critiques cultural ideals that prize cleverness or entertainment over character, arguing that long-term intimacy depends more on everyday decency than on sparkle.