Do you try to do the right thing but for the wrong reason?

Question

Hi,

If you are a religious person and you try to do right and try to avoid doing wrong - what are your motivations?

Are you trying to be good so that you can get into Heaven and avoid Hell? Are you trying to be good so that your god will smile on you? Or are you motivated to do the right thing simple because it is the right thing to do without thought of reward or punishment?

I don't believe in god and when I help a Little Old Lady across the street I don't do it with the expectation that she will give me a cookie.

What say you?

Answer 1

because i would feel guilty if i didn't. or because it would make me feel good about myself. or because it's polite and i can't stand rudeness. depends on the situation and my mood.

Answer 2

I say who cares about the motivation as long as you do the right thing. Really, isn't it a matter of doing the right thing because of how it makes you feel? Ultimately everything you do is motivated by the reward or punishment you receive. Whether it is to feel like you contributed, to feel good, to get into heaven, or hell; it all comes back to the motivation, which is one's self.

Answer 3

why do I do the right thing? because I can. As a Christain, I don't do it because that's what makes me Christian, I do it because that's just what I do. It's hard to explain it with words. I guess it's just "in-me" to do it.

I am motivated to do something OVERly right, such as giving away my hard earned money to someone who needs it more, or volunteering when it's a disservice to myself as I have no time, when I know it's a God-ordained good-work. But I use wisdom.

and what's wrong with a cookie? I like chocolate chip. But who'd carry that around all the time? I have my reward if I get it, if not, I'll be rewarded at another time, in another place, whether I care or not.

Answer 4

I didn't know that little old ladies always carry around cookies to reward those that help them. This is very interesting.

When was the last time you helped a little old lady across the street?

Do little old ladies still practice this today?

I like cookies, so I may be on the look-out for them.

Ask a silly question.......

Answer 5

my motivation is when i do good i know i have pleased God with the added benefit of giving to another i cant tell you about your little cookie deal with the old lady but i can say that for me it is better to give than to recieve that goes along with the bible as well so for me the two go together

Answer 6

I do 'good' because it clears the mind.

I use mindfulness (a meditative technique) to 'view' my thinking and emotions and determine which are 'good' or 'bad'. I *try* to keep the 'good' ones ;-) A 'good' one is that of compassion, so I help the old lady without wanting anything in return (a 'bad' one).

This has a clarifying (and calming) effect on the mind since it is not filled with the garbage and turmoil that bad actions create.

Answer 7

when I have been given myself ineffective-decrease than the impact of alcohol, with the intention to no longer have intercourse with my terrific pal's female pal. it fairly is a incorrect for a applicable. next day, my pal and GF come over to be certain how I fared after that overboozing...then he left to accomplish a little organisation... I had many of the wildest intercourse i've got ever had.... it fairly is a applicable for a incorrect, and it surely beat the different!!!

Answer 8

Everything I do I have the intention to please Almighty God and my intention is to do it for the sake of Allah or Almighty God.