The meaning of “Clever words and pleasing appearances are seldom associated with true benevolence.”
"Clever words and pleasing appearances” do not simply refer to deception or hypocrisy. Rather, they point to a mind that has become outwardly distracted, causing one to lose the inner virtue of the original heart.
When someone focuses on speaking beautifully and presenting a pleasant expression merely to please others, they become driven by personal desires and gradually obscure the true essence of benevolence.