What Does It Mean to Be a Good Person

The short story is set at a park by a lake. “They were up on a picnic table at that park by the lake, by the edge of the lake, with part of a downed tree in the shallows half hidden by the bank.”1 The downed tree sets the mood to be sad and dark. We also learn that the main characters Lane A. Dean, Jr. and his girlfriend Sheri Fisher are sitting very still on the picnic table2, which tells us that the atmosphere is quite intense. It does not say for how long they sit by the lake, but it says that the right sides of their faces get shaded so it can be assumed that they sit there for a while.3

There is nothing wrong with someone putting time aside for themselves and making sure that they are okay. In fact, one may end up with poor mental health if they didn’t take such action. My problem is whenever someone thinks that others owe them; when someone only cares for themselves and acts as if they are the only one that matters. Society seems to agree with me, as many people utter phrases such as "You're selfish" or "The world doesn't revolve around you"! The problem is that many say those phrases to the wrong people. Too many times, someone tries to make things better for themselves and is ridiculed for it, by people who think that they should be doing something else. Again, there is nothing wrong with one taking time out for themselves, because after all their life is, in fact, their life. No one knows what's "best for them" or "what they should be doing" besides them, yet too many people think that it's their job to put someone "in their place" and tell them what they should be doing. In actuality, the people who are giving their harsh lesson on selfishness are performing an act of selfishness themselves, by thinking that their opinions of someone else's life (and actions) matter more that of the actual person they are commenting on.. It's unfortunate to say, but too many people are tricked into thinking that

Morrie outlined how American culture was bad for the soul in many ways, he states “People are only mean when they’re threatened, and that’s what our culture does. That’s what our economy does. …And when you get threatened, you start looking out for only yourself.”(Albom, 154) Morrie sees why people are selfish and they feel a sense of entitlement, and he still has compassion for them. I struggle with feeling compassion in a culture that sees compassion as weakness and charity as a thing to be exploited. There was a great revelation for me when Morrie’s talks about cultures problem, “. . . the biggest defect we human being

When an entire people only care about himself or herself, what becomes of the whole?

The argument that “the greatest threat to one’s own humanity is indifference to the suffering of others” is accurate, because compassion for each other is what brings one’s humanity closer together.

Thanks Alicia, I appreciate your thoughtful and informative response to my post. I'm sorry if you found the term “mid level provider” offensive. I honestly, hadn't viewed the term as derogatory until you shed light on the origin and true meaning. I also, believe most people are inherently good, however as you stated there are those few that discredit this notion. Yes, I have dealt with situations in my nursing career that made me question another individual’s integrity. I have no issue confronting another provider or peer if I discovered unsafe or unethical practices within the

Our world has become one where people are so invested in their own day-to-day lives, that they forget to look around. A world where people are self centered and are quick to judge other people. However, it's not necessarily in a mean way, it's more of the fact that people are tired and frustrated and just want to take a break. David Foster Wallace talks about this in his speech titled, “This Is Water”. Wallace talks about the meaning of living day in and day out, and how people believe in times of frustration, that they are the center of the universe.

Th instance Schwalbe gave us was taking a pot of unguarded donated money. The person taking if will benefit financially, but the recipients would suffer. The suffering trickles all the way down from the donators to the individuals loved ones. When the individual was contemplating taking the money they were just thinking of the benefit they would receive, not the toll it would take on others. To be sociologically mindful we must consider the affect that our outward actions and feeling will have on other people. To be able to feel for and with others we must respect others feelings. Showing this can be as simple as social courtesies such as, simple greetings, saying thank you, or holding a door. Doing these small acts not only benefits an individual but also shows how they feel about themselves and want to be treated. Most human behavior is characterized by how we feel others react to and evaluate us. Because of this we usually fall back to traditions. We let the society we are in shape us, and because this is comfortable, one does not typically question it. It’s hard to feel socially accepted when you imagine others judging

A key factor in human nature is for people to be selfish and it is

Good people do bad things. Doing a bad thing does not make someone a monster. For example, if a young boy was raised in the ghetto where he and his family never had enough to eat he might have to steal to get for his family. Even though he has done something illegal and immoral that does not make him a bad person. He was just doing what he had to do to get his family food to eat. Even if he kills someone in the process of sealing the food it does not make him a monster. This kid just made a bad choice in an awful situation but he made the choice for the right reason, to feed his family. Victor Frankenstein’s creation, the “monster”, was not all bad. The made some bad choices because of how he was created and how he was treated by Victor after he was created.

By doing this you lose the people around you. Odysseus, for example, rarely trusted his crew with key information vital to their journey, leading them to mistrust him. Wreaking havoc multiple times throughout the epic. A relationship is a two way street and you have to give in order to receive. But a relationship cannot rely on the concept of favors. That relationship, the same one Odysseus creates, is immoral. It was only achieved through lies and constant deceit. His constant ego led him to sacrifice his morals and the lives of others for his own purpose. His intentions were not pure, therefore his relationships were shallow. In addition to self absorption, society pushes us to focus primarily on materialistic and therefore, temporary possessions. Whether, it be purchasing a gift card for a birthday present or simply giving someone cash. The meaning is lost. But simultaneously, it is effortless. I have been a part of this cycle as well. Because It is ridiculously easy to buy a card for someone with a note already printed inside. It is ridiculously simple. And it must

Considering about one’s self more than others is narcissistic and intrinsic. There are almost no moral rights because man is only concerned about himself. Everyday, I see people making selfish decisions without a single drop of remorse from their words and actions. Honestly, it breaks my heart. No one

Love your neighbor as yourself. This is a phrase I try to live my life by to respect and treat other the way that I want to be treated. I strongly agree with “Family is a core metaphor” because I think it is true that as Jews, we have to care for one another even if our beliefs may not align with each other. Underlying all of it, we are Jews and have come from the same distressed background and together have pulled through to make Judaism a flourishing religion and community throughout the world. It is impossible to declare someone as “not jewish anymore” because we are all one community and respect each other.

We live in a world full of inequalities and selfishness. Love has long been buried in the hearts of men that we forgot that love is the greatest gift our God has ever given us. Let us not forget that how we treat others reflects to how we treat ourselves. May we relieve ourselves from the biases that we have for others and help one another to

It is important to be good because the consequences of being good outweigh the consequences of being bad. Being good or bad reflects on how people view us and the opinions they will place on people. It is important because you will not feel guilty and shameful on the actions taken that make you feel that way. If you follow the norms of everyday society, you are considered being good and people will not take action against you. People have a sense of duty to do for others whenever people are in need of help. If a person does something socially unacceptable to today’s norm and standards, people will take action that will prevent that person from completing whatever it is they are doing. Some people believe in a religion that is all about being good and encourages good acts and behavior. For example, Catholics follow the Ten Commandments such as, “do not steal”, and “do not kill”.