What is it that makes a "good" person?

Question

I was wondering this the other night. Most of us have done things in our lives at some point that we aren't proud of, or have hurt others, and most of us have also done kind, loving, charitable things. So often you hear about people who are idolised as examples of "goodness" (Martin Luther King, Mandela, numerous religious figures) being discredited because it comes out that they did things which we find difficult to reconcile with "goodness" and it seems like it devalues their good works somehow. And often you hear about people who have been "bad" repenting and deciding to be good - whethe rit's the cheating husband pledging fidelity, or the convicted murderer who finds God in jail.
So I was wondering- what do you think makes a good or a bad person? Can someone who was once bad ever become good? Are there any rules that one must follow in order to be "good" or is it more about a general attitude?

Answer 1

A good person is someone with an internal compas that encourages them to do good things for others.

Not knowing the difference between good and evil is an indicator of Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Answer 2

the difference is your conscience, if you follow your conscience whatever other people think, you are a nice person. Following your conscience, you would not naturally like hurting anyone or anybody's feelings even.

That is the prime reason, the terrorists hit the conscience of the person whom they want to use for their motive. I don't consider those pawns the villains, because they know from their heart that the world is bad and they have to do that dastardly act to bring justice. It is just that their understanding of the world has been biased by those actual villains behind the scene, who neither believe in the cause nor they have enough courage to come out. Had they been nice/ good persons they would have come forward before their pawns to sacrifice their lives, but they would never do so.

Even Shrimadbhagwadgita the popular hindu regious scripture says that If you believe something to be true and you are going to do it, whatever the consequences and if abstain from doing what you feel is wrong - your path is right and conversely your path is wrong.

Answer 3

All people are good people. We just call the people who do the things that we don't like, bad or evil.

We of course are only seeing the situation from our own limited perspective. To us it fits the definition of bad or evil.

From the perspective of the other person it always looks like the correct or logical thing to be doing.

To the British in the 1700s George Washington was a terrorist commander.

To Americans he was a hero. All ideas of good and evil are point of view specific.

We are just silly enough to believe that our idea is always the only possible correct way to be thinking.

Silly little dream of superiority we are having isn’t it.

Love and blessings.
don

Answer 4

I think that a good person is someone who's good things outweigh the bad things the have done. However in reality, there is no such thing as a good person. Who decides what good is? every different culture has a different set of values. What might be classed as a good and acceptable things in one country, could be classed as a terrible act in another.
For example, In western culture the murder of a child is considered one of the worse possible crimes, in some African countries, children are killed when they are thought to be "witches" or even just for sacrifice in black magic. Sometimes even parents are grateful to the murderers for getting rid of their "witch child".
any way, this just proves my point, that there is no backbone to law that runs through every country, so no-one has the right to judge a person to be good or bad.

Answer 5

Someone is considered great when he/she does an action for the good of all with no interest in rewards or fame, e.g Gandhi or Mandela.

A good person is someone who helps to ease some body's pain.

Anyone can be considered great or good if they does a certain things to help somebody or the whole mass...they could be either a convicted murderer or a life long humanist when it comes to doing good everybody is equal.

Answer 6

Well, I guess there is no such thing as being permanently good. You're as good as your last deed.
Everyone knows deep inside all the good and the bad they did in life. Admitting all the bad and nurturing all the good is perhaps the last good did everyone does/can do before they go (the film of life that flashes before your eyes...). Or the last confession, where it all comes out.
As for the evidence of one's goodness or badness, it is in the memory of the people that were touched by it and the stories they pass on to contemporaroes and the next generation.

"Every (living) thing in the universe can tell good from evil"
Kevin Spacey, K-PAX

Answer 7

Good and Bad are relative! Good can become Bad, Bad can become Good, with change of time, place and people! The question is very mind-agitating, intellectual: as a rule, a good person does not hurt others by words or deeds, does not trouble others for help or for self interests, and helps out others whenever possible, without intruding! Pleasant, and, independent, that is a good person!

Answer 8

A good person tries to do the right thing in every situation, even if what they were hoping to acomplish didn't work out as planned. They're intensions are what really count.
They protect those who can't defend themselves even when it is not their so called responsability.
They state how they feel and are honest even when it's not in their own best interest.
They work hard as they were working for God, because they are. What ever you do, do it well.
They raise their children up to reach the same values, and look at what they say and do as to how it will effect their child as well as those around them.

Answer 9

Basically, there is an inherent goodness in all of us...In time, and space we become corrupted...I believe no matter how bad a person is, there is still that spark of goodness in him, and likewise, no matter how good a person is, there is still that evil that resides in him....Its a matter of taming your good or bad side, or how you conquer the devil in you.,,,

Also that persons spirituality and faith adds up to his conviction to do good,. Like following the 10 commandments, or the golden rule.. No matter how you sin, or how many times you stumble, if you stand up, acknowledge your mistakes and straighten your life again, that is a very good start,,,

Its just not yourself and how you deal with the society, the corrupted world, the vanity of this life.....

Loving the difficult ones, your enemies, the detractors.If loving is too much, understanding them in a humane way...Charity works, sharing what you have...

And practising what you preach,,,,following Christ in your own human mundane way.....and its not a bed of roses,,,,,lots of stumbles and stones, blocking your way,,,,,,,,,,and it is always a struggle...

Answer 10

A person is neither good nor bad. He is a product. An ant in God's antfarm. Everything we do is for ourselves. Good and evil is a myth of the dull minded individual who never opens up his television set to see whats inside. There are no tiny men inside a television, only circuits and electronic components.