I was answering another question and this came to me. What is the standard of good? (I know what my opinion is, but I would like some thoughts from other people.)
If a person is good, then we should just live and let live?!? But WHO says what good is? I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't do drugs. I am basically a nice person, I treat others as I would want to be treated, if I have a lot of items at the store and the person behind me has just one I let them go in front of me. I don't sleep around, my husband was the one I lost my virginity to on our wedding night. Am I good person?
What is good enough? Does the law determine what is good enough? Do your morals determine? And is there absolute truth?
2006-09-23 09:18:28 · 11 answers · asked by Lilat180 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If you actually knew me you would know that I am not a self-centered person. Those comments I made about myself were Rhetorical. Not a pat on my own back. I don't smoke because I think it is gross, I don't drink because I have seen to many bad effects from it. How do you know that I lead a boring life. I have been more places in my 24 years than most people could ever dream of. I have lead a very adventurous life. My goals in life are to help those who need it. I am going to school to become a nurse so that I can do medical missions and help people that are less fortunate than me.
2006-09-23 09:29:59 · update #1
Ok so as long as I am not going around killing everyone and super hateful to people then I am ok. So does that give me permission to steal like from Walmart, I'm not hurting anyone they are just a bunch of rich buggers anyway, they won't miss one pair of jeans. Does that give me permission to sit on my butt at home taking from the government, I'm not being hateful to anyone by doing that, I'm not being a contributing member of society though...
HUM
2006-09-23 09:50:34 · update #2
Finally a question dealing with ethics that actually has some cross-cultural validity! Good show!
The dialogue probably starts from the "harmless" doctrine present in a number of faiths: Don't do to someone else what you would not want to be done to you. In other words, don't do any harm to others.
Laws are written to flesh out this basic structure, and there will always be debate and cultural changes over time. For example, the law of consent for sex used to be much younger, and still varies from state-to-state. Gambling is illegal some places and not in others. However, these are the margins, and the basic tenet of not doing harm lies at its core.
When it comes to harming yourself, ethics can dictate similar things, but I'd prefer that the law steer clear of meddling with personal freedom.
The biggest problem that I think has arisen in law is the creation of the corporate "person." In law, incorporated entities are treated as persons who have rights and privileges similar to real human beings. This legal fiction leaves means that the actions of a corporation may lead to harm, but that there are no human beings that will be held accountable for that harm.
Again, great question.
2006-09-23 09:27:03 · answer #1 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The main goal in Buddhism is training the mind, so that is where I'm coming from.
'Good' as far as humans are concerned is always going to depend on the mental motivation behind an action.
If the mental motivation is to harm, even though the action seems kind, it would be a 'bad' action.
Again, this all goes back to the Buddhist goal of training the mind. The idea is to make sure all your actions are 'good'. This has a positive effect on your mind.
Here are a list of 'good' actions to contemplate:
Remove anger from your life
Cultivate love
Stabilize your mind
Conceal your accomplishments
Praise others accomplishments
Reveal your own shortcomings
Do not reveal others shortcomings (unless with compassion)
Recognize all people as spiritual teachers
Take no pleasure in negative actions
Remove procrastination and laziness from your life
Speak peacefully and truthfully
Smile
Give freely
Abandon envy
Faith in what is 'good' comes in believing these things will have a positive effect on how you feel and how the people around you feel.
2006-09-23 16:32:41 · answer #2 · answered by Bad Buddhist 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good is simple:
1. First do not harm.
2. Do good.
#1 determines you are good. #2 determines how good. If you never hurt anyone but never help either you are nuetral. If you never harm anyone and you help many you are very good. If you harm others, you are bad, even if you help some. You must make amends to those you harm and right the wrongs.
Virginity and substance use have nothing to do with morals, these are personal and social standards. It is fair to say you are less likely to hurt others if you are careful about these things or abstain from them altogether but they aren't immoral unless you hurt someone by doing them. This is basic moral standards for athiests, agnostics and some religious. As to non-Christians as a whole I can't say beyond that because each religion is a little different.
2006-09-23 16:21:32 · answer #3 · answered by tenaciousd 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Morals play a big role, but a lot of our morals are determined by society as a whole. It really wouldn't matter to me if you smoked or drank... unless you get drunk and beat the crap outta your kids. In all honesty, I can't make this type of judgement call based on a few paragraphs on the internet. Based on what you've given, I'd say you lead a clean life and try to stay true to your principles. But for all I know, you like to kick your dog around the house when you're upset. *smile*
2006-09-23 17:09:24 · answer #4 · answered by Kithy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is the question of Philosophy.
Utilitarianism: that which benifits the most people
Religion: that which God says is good
Hobbs: that which benifits the individual most
The list goes on, but you get the idea. Personally, I don't think there is an absolute. Most people are imbued with the morals of their parents and then get a little wiggle room if they decide to examine their beliefs.
2006-09-23 16:24:56 · answer #5 · answered by adphllps 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus is the example or I should say the goal we should strive for in doing or being good. So that is the standard. Bare in mind that we have encumbrances that keep us from being completely good all the time, but it is supposed to be a learning experience. What is good enough? The best you can do is good enough. Jesus loves each of us and will pick up the slack when we do our best. He is also our judge and He knows our hearts so His judgments are just.
2006-09-23 16:26:30 · answer #6 · answered by Nora Explora 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Honey...all that does not make you a good person....just boring and sheltered.
What have you done to better your children...your people...your planet? Answer those and you will know if you are a good person or not.
KaptainK
I came back to read the other responses and I must say that you are extremely defensive. You asked the question but if you can't take the answers, no matter what form they are, then maybe you should stay off of here.....firing back at people for the answers.....not good!!!!!!
2006-09-23 16:21:46 · answer #7 · answered by KaptainKahn 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Do you own a car or drive a car and put forth tons of pollutants into God's world each day and chew up the air just so you can go buy donuts.
2006-09-23 16:43:30 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
As long as you aren't going around killing everyone you see, and being super hateful to people.
2006-09-23 16:24:12 · answer #9 · answered by sllikylloh 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just being good will not get you into heaven, that would be considered "good works" God says that you can not enter into heaven this way so that none will boast. ITS ALL ABOUT BELIVING IN CHRIST...PLUS the other you mentioned! Not just that alone!!
2006-09-23 16:27:50 · answer #10 · answered by K 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋