What does it MEAN to be a GOOD person??

Question

How could I be a better person. Any easy steps, or just steps for that matter? Or is it just all subjective, and to each his own?

Answer 1

Aristotle defined a good person as a person who had developed all of the virtues, and I think I agree with his view. He defined a virtue as a mean between two extremes (vices). If you have too much of any trait it becomes a vice, and if you have too little it is also a vice. The appropriate happy medium is a virtue. For example, if you are not courageous enough, you're cowardly. If you're overly courageous, you're foolhardy and will take unwise risks. If you are somewhere in between, you will be courageous but careful enough not to do something stupid. Another example: if you're not generous enough, you're selfish. If you're too generous, you're self sacrificing and will give to others even what you really need yourself. Somewhere in between is the virtue of generosity.

Aristotle said that your habits determine your character. If you want to be a courageous person, you need to behave courageously even when it feels unnatural to you, and if you do that most or all of the time for a long while, courage will become part of your character. The same will go for any other virtue. If you are compassionate to others all the time (even when you feel like being less so), you will eventually feel the compassion and not just be acting like you do. The disposition will follow the actions as they develop as habits.

Answer 2

Dear Orange bunny,
If you want to be a better person, you need to keep doing things that make you feel GOOD about yourself.


there are no 'steps' as such, because being a good person is not a destination. It is a ROUTE.

everyday, do little things that will make you and others around you feel good.

be PATIENT with everyone. do not let irritation get in the way.

being a better person doesn't just mean the above things. You could take a daily MORNING WALK, TRY YOR BEST to balance your work- home life, etc.

set GOALS for yourself, work towards achieving them.

to me, working towards being a better person means working towards feeling positive about yourself and making others feel good about you too.

Smiles,
scorchingsun.

P.S.: Kimberley said sum great stuff up there.

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

Hi OrangeBunny,
A good person, is someone with a good heart, compassionate and loyal to all those around them....
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Any goodness we possess, comes from the heart... When the heart is transformed by the love, goodness naturally comes out.. IF I can be classified as a good person, I owe it all to my heart ...
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Some examples :
Try to do well in your endeavors....
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Be civil to people you come into contact with...
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Don't bully others, don't be intolerant of others ideas.... That doesn't mean accepting their ideas, but it means allowing for discussion and free speech....
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Hone the ability to see in shades of Grey, while keeping one foot firmly planted in some objective ideas....
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Try and keep promises to yourself ...which means not making too many at once!
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Believe in yourself... Love another like you love yourself....
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Thanks, for the question! :)

My regards! :)

Take care!

Answer 5

Man is a social animal. Any religion that he follows, does profess one thing in common.... to be a good person. If one watches each step in one's life that he takes, that it be only for the betterment of self, for the betterment of family, for kith and kin, for the society in which one dwells, for the city and country and for the betterment of all mankind and for all living things in general, it would be the best. Life devoted to others' welfare is better that I, me, myself existence.

Answer 6

Correcting concept: the Will is positive, the Judgment is negative. As you sort out your concept keeping this organic difference in mind, differentiating the Will from the Judgment, then you know. Love is of Will, Hate is of Judgment. There after it is cognitive development and limited awareness.

Answer 7

How to be a good person. What you're supposed to do is never do bad things. Be nice to people by at least giving them a smile. that's enough. being too nice would be a problem too anyway.

Answer 8

Never claim the title of "good person". By doing that, you will be basking in your so-called "glory" and by having done that, you are not a "good person". Just do what feels right, always.

Answer 9

The definition of "good" varies from one person to another, and from one culture to another. There is no such thing as being a better person.

Answer 10

A "Good" person is considered a person who's loving and giving.

To be a "better person", simply detach from our indulgence on our superior sense of ego self.
Then, whatever we do, will be good.