Is It Possible For "A Thing" To Have Good Intentions?

(Hongou is an aspiring writer and Yamagishi is the teacher.)

Yamagishi: Looks like Sonezaki-san and Onodera-san are winning.

Hongou: Winning?

Yamagish: When someone feels as if they are ahead of the game, they act as if they have discovered some truth. At first, it would appear as if they have become more kind, more tolerant, but in truth, their ability to exercise their imagination on their surroundings is greatly impaired.

Hongou: I suppose that would mean well for the creative efforts of the so-called "losers."

Yamagishi: Personally, I would believe that. Works of fiction written when one is "losing" are filled with more hunger and are far more powerful.

Hongou: Then I'll be able to write something incredible right now.

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Based on dictionaries, "mean well" means to have good intentions. I believe "that" as in that would mean well is "a thing" not a person. So I'm so confused, not being sure of whether "a thing" itself can have good intentions. I would say: I suppose that would mean the creative efforts of the so-called "losers" are likely to pay off.