Before being the best person, let us see what a good person is. From time immemorial and for centuries philosophers have been pondering, questioning and debating what is good and what is not in a person. Many times it is found more complicated than just being kind or virtuous. Some religions have arisen with the attempt to evaluate the difference between good and evil.
However, every individual’s journey is distinct from others. To be good has a lot to do with discovering own self and the role in the world.
The popular accepted steps to be good;
1. Be proactive: Do good things rather than just avoiding bad things.
2. Judge the results: It does not matter whether you have done good things. What matters is the results. If your results are good; you have done the good things. Other wise nothing has been done in the name of good. Not every attempt to do good will end with good results, so when things don't work out, be willing to reconsider your actions and change them accordingly.
3. Consider the greater good. People often do right things for the wrong reasons, and wrong things for the right reasons. For example, you are playing a foot ball game. It might seem definitely good to try and score as many goals as you can to bring your team to victory. But there is a wider sense in the victory of the team. How will your teammates feel if you score all the goals instead of helping them up to score at times, never allowing them to get a shot in? That kind of victory may affect the team spirit. Probably you would not feel good even if your team won. Because, your teammates might have felt it as if an individual effort and they weren't involved.
For what is good, ultimately, you have to decide on your own code of ethics.
Be balanced. In the struggle to be good, it's easy to swing from one extreme to another. However, avoid all extreme ways and go by middle.
o It's good to be humble and kind, but is it not good to be so humble and kind that you let people walk all over you. That would damage your physical and emotional health, or lessens your ability to care for. Spend and provide time for your family.
o It's good to be responsible; but not extra ordinary responsible.
o It's good to be positive.
o It's good to be honest, but not to be so honest that you hurt people's feelings unnecessarily, violate someone's privacy or prevent someone from finding answers that they might need to find for themselves.
Give people the benefit of the doubt. Do not jump in to conclusions immediately after meting group of people. Try to discover their act if motivated and if appropriate, show them how it was hurtful by using by nonviolent communication..
Be good for its own sake. Don't try to be a good person because your parents told you to, because you want recognition or respect, or for any kind of reward except your own satisfaction in doing what you believe is good. Do what belief makes you a good person on your own terms, and remember that it's an individual journey--everyone's path is unique.
• Believe in the power of your actions to influence others. When other people see you doing good deeds, they will be reminded to take more positive action themselves.
• Avoid lying whenever possible. With the exception of lies that protect others' feelings, telling the truth is always easier than lying. And forcing yourself to always tell the truth means that you'll be motivated to make better choices when confronted with dilemmas in life.
• Keep in mind that for which you are grateful and do good on that basis. If you do good to get good, your expectations will eventually be unmet.
To close, be good first and the best would follow automatically but gradually.
Answered by
Ramcharan
, an ibibo Master,
at
7:16 PM on September 24, 2008
