"And once for all, let me tell thee and assure thee, young man, it’s better to sail with a moody good captain than a laughing bad one."
Of course the moody captain is Ahab and this line will prove to be arguable within the context of the novel, yet there is more than a hint of truth in it. Often we are dazzled by personality. The brash, the bold, and the brazen can capture audiences, make promises, and seem like the 'winners' in the world. Yet the people who can hold both happiness and sorrow, truth and hope - those are the ones I prefer to help navigate my course in life. Moody means all the moods - all the feels. I want a good captain who understands pain and joy and the truth in both.