Good People In 'Timbuktu:' A Good Person?

Often times, many forget to be kind to one another. When we are performing out our daily activities we forget to think about other people. Individuals can be naturally selfish or self- centered. There are multiple obstacles working against our being kind to one another. Our own success being one of them. We must remember to put ourselves in the shoes of the other person, in order to understand the issues in front of us. It is not easy to become detached ourselves from how we usually are nor how we are born, but it is imperative that we try to ensure a brighter future.

In the article, “6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You A Better Person” by David Wong, He speaks about the six ways that can adapt him or her into a superior individual. In addition, these six ways occur in six harsh truths that depending on the person may be difficult to digest. The author of this piece says that few may not need to hear these truths, while the majority of people need to. First, “The World Only Cares about What It can get from you”. In this step, if a situation occurs and he or she needs something, and another person has it and gives it to him or her, at the moment he or she is helping somebody in need. For example, if a person happens to get shot in the street and somebody is calling for somebody to extract the bullet out, at the moment that person

And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” this is a quote by the Dalai Lama and it is very true. Doing something good by helping people is a chain reaction, because if I help one person by doing something, then they might be impacted and they could pass it on by doing something nice too. That could make the world a much better place, by spreading happiness and helpfulness one person at a time.

I wasn’t aware of the importance of doing good for others, until recently that I witnessed it with my own eyes. It all started when was at Chicago, a random man helped out a homeless man and bought him some food. I noticed as I was in line that the cashier then gave the helping man a free choice to pick something he wanted due to the action he did. After that day I began to make an attempt at helping out more and being a better person in general.

In this chapter, "niceness" was identified as an encompassing value in empowerment that is based on therapeutic fiction for the means of commercialism. Having always thought of "niceness" as a very kind and desirable trait, I was disturbed by the book's cynical interpretation of this quality. Their view makes the assumption that human are selfish individuals who act only when it is in their best interests. I find it disheartening to think that people's niceness is just a shallow performance for hidden ulterior motives, but at the same time, I do recognize the reasoning behind it. It is natural for individuals to be conscious of what is at

After reading the readings that I have read for this paper makes me sit back and think how others were raised. I wonder if these people were taught right from wrong. It is really hard for me to think that so many people just think of themselves and do not want to help anybody else out in a time of need. If it be at work, personal life, or in a state of emergency. I feel that if you do not help another person out you are a selfish irresponsible person. There are way too many people who like to make somebody else be responsible for what they should take responsibility for.

People are born into this world crying and wanting only for themselves. As children, humans retain the same selfishness. Without regard for the others around them, they throw tantrums and fight until they obtain the object of their desire. This behaviour was essential for survival when humans were at their most primitive state, left to fend for themselves against the hostile world and each other. But as humans have united together, communities have been created where selfishness is not needed; due to the generosity and kindness that is valued by the community's members. Although humans have put value of kindness and generosity well above selfishness, it has not combatted the “default-setting”, mentioned in This is Water by David Foster Wallace.

Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act on it. Pablo Casals

Although our current way of life is in need of a revision in order to help others in need, I do not believe in a drastic revision as today’s societies already send aid to other countries and already have an altruistic mindset. However, the issue that remains is that today’s societies and people don’t

Our world is forever changing; it seems like we are constantly facing new challenges every day. In today’s world altruism and humanitarianism should be one of our main focuses as a society rather than the self-serving ones.

FAITH IN HUMANITY At the bottom of Pandora’s Box, there’s still hope. After all of the evils of the world have gone out and plagued all the aspects of our lives, there is still that part that keeps us in check. Now, for some, this balance comes from those who take the worst of their lives and turn it into the best. These are the instances in life where the people in normal circumstances do extraordinary things for the sake of making everything better, despite what is required to get it done. While humanity on a whole is arguable selfish at the core, with exception for the beliefs of Plato, there are still those instances, those people, who remind us of what happens when select people go out of their way to help.

I find this topic for a journal really interesting because I feel as if the whole idea of helping people without doing harm is the entire focus of this class. We discussed this point in Robert Lupton’s Toxic Charity and we are talking about it now in Tori Hogan’s Beyond Good Intentions. This idea of helping without doing harm interesting because most people probably feel like they are helping others when in reality they may be causing more harm than good. In my opinion, it is possible to help without doing harm, however, there is a fine line between help and harm that can sometimes be difficult to see.

As I get older, I am understanding the value and the importance of tending to your needs first, as long as it is rational. In order to support another to the best of my ability and in my full capacity, I have to also take care of myself. Even when selfishness is denounced publicly, many are still selfish in their private everyday actions that do not benefit others. For example, in the article “The Ethics of Benign Selfishness” by Tibor R. Machan, he states that we are “normally, routinely and benignly selfish” (12). When we awake in the morning we proceed to groom and take care of our needs before we attend to the needs of others (Machan 12).

Dr. Steve Maraboli, a behavioral scientist, once said, “Every single time you help somebody stand up, you are helping humanity rise” (“goodreads” n.pag.). People’s positive view on society is dependent on someone stepping up and helping out someone that could use a boost. In troublesome situations, people do not always have a positive figure to stand up for them, but when they do, this can affect people’s positive outlook on the world.

When I am at best, I help people. I motivate myself and feel motivated when I get to help others. Whether it’s a stranger, colleague, friends, or family, I feel my passion in assisting those in need. As long as it’s within my capability and moral belief that what people ask for help is ethical and legal, I give them my attention and time. I feel happy that I am able to give a hand, and I feel happy to see people become happy with the help I give them. Helping others put smiles on my face and also on them as well. I feel proud of myself that I have the power to help the