What Makes A Person Good?

[Seil]

But do you need to be intelligent and aware to be good? If you're sympathetic or empathetic, is it because you are, because you're societally driven to or you're evolutionary inclined to be that way?

We're a weird people. We created religion where the ideal, the most one can aspire to be is a good person. Our books and writings tend to favor the hero, heroism by defeniton being doing good. We're usually fighting battles with ourselves, keeping us from shouting at someone we dislike in conversations we don't want to be in because of societal constraints, which again, push us toward being good. Though there are many definitions of "good," and how to be a sincere, honest, loving, genuine person, the question remains why aren't we? Why do we fight and bicker and hoard and thieve?

Can monkeys and dogs and the like be sympathetic? Can they be good?

[BahamutFlare]

First about the coliseum, that was the past, and I tend to focus solely on the present. Therefore, I don't think about that.

Seil, you bring up a good question. My initial instinct is to say that animals can be good. But usually don't have the intelligence to pursue it for everyone. Rather animals go for survival first, then being good. When they are good, they are usually only good for their territory and family, which in some cases can be seen as survival. Without being an animal, it's hard to say if they do some actions to be good, or to survive.

Good and evil are always relative though. Some would say killing is good. Others say it's evil. The reasons usually have to be as pure as possible I guess to be considered good too. (Trying to put it on a black and white scale). I'm actually having a discussion with RL friends about this 3 days ago, so I'll try to get multiple opinions as sources and make judgments based on all the information I can muster.

[synkr0nized]

Originally Posted by Fifthfiend

Not being an assholeryan sohmer

Wow, that's terrible.

Also why is he looking at me in the panel where he's cutting the carpet?

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Following the tenets of our Lord and Saviour.

[Archbio]

Originally Posted by synk

Also why is he looking at me in the panel where he's cutting the carpet?

Don't worry, his eyes can't actually focus anywhere with his face frozen in that permanent "I'm so cool and relaxed but somehow also extremely smug about it" expression.

[Thadius]

Thiiiiiiiiis is a touchy subject for me. I've always seen Good and Evil a little differently than most. Mainly because I'm willing to admit that anything and everything can be wrong at any given moment. My views on good and evil are what some would call...askew.

First, I don't see absolutes. There is no absolute Good or Evil in this world. There just can't be. An issue is never black or white, it is always shades of gray that most refuse to see.

Building on that, what is commonly held to be Good or Evil is a matter of public opinion, and that can change. Hell, people change all the time, public opinion of what is good or evil can change just as rapidly.

Building on that, Good or Evil is really just how you see it. It's your perspective. It's always been your perspective, it's always going to be your perspective. If you find something that offends your perspective, you can either change the thing that is offending you, or change your perspective.

Now, there are a few things that never seem to change. Such as Do Unto Others is always thought of as a good thing to do, and kicking puppies, while relatively minor, is thought of as evil. Those are what I refer to as the deep, still waters of opinion. They rarely change, if ever, and are held across most boundaries.

All that being said, where do I stand? A good person, or an evil one?

Haven't you heard anything?

I'm somewhere in between.

[rpgdemon]

Originally Posted by BahamutFlare

First about the coliseum, that was the past, and I tend to focus solely on the present. Therefore, I don't think about that.

Seil, you bring up a good question. My initial instinct is to say that animals can be good. But usually don't have the intelligence to pursue it for everyone. Rather animals go for survival first, then being good. When they are good, they are usually only good for their territory and family, which in some cases can be seen as survival. Without being an animal, it's hard to say if they do some actions to be good, or to survive.

Good and evil are always relative though. Some would say killing is good. Others say it's evil. The reasons usually have to be as pure as possible I guess to be considered good too. (Trying to put it on a black and white scale). I'm actually having a discussion with RL friends about this 3 days ago, so I'll try to get multiple opinions as sources and make judgments based on all the information I can muster.

A philanthropist comedian who also has a single person locked in his basement who he's raping.

I'm normally a fan of simple answers, but I don't think you have the right simple answer.

[Nique]

Originally Posted by Seil

Can monkeys and dogs and the like be sympathetic? Can they be good?

If part of the definition of goodness is that it is not a passive quality, then I would say usually not.

[Seil]

good·ness
? ?[good-nis] Show IPA
noun
1.
the state or quality of being good.
2.
moral excellence; virtue.
3.
kindly feeling; kindness; generosity.
4.
excellence of quality: goodness of workmanship.
5.
the best part of anything; essence; strength.

.

[Hatake Kakashi]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned it yet, but not being a Republican seems to be a good start.

Seems like the prerequisite for membership in the GOP these days is being a pretentious, terrible, half-witted, inconsiderate, ego-maniacal, narcissistic, short-sighted, child-molesting, closeted homophobe whose only ambition is to fuck the world at the bidding of your corporate masters, who will then gleefully grease your asshole with more of their dirty money.

If I missed anything in their description, kindly bring it up. I'm very tired at the moment, but want to give proper credit where credit is due.