The type of person who seems to have an aura of goodness about them. They work hard, are geneous with time and concern for others, seem very happy and you just know they will always do the right thing no matter what the cost.
The type of person who seems to have an aura of goodness about them. They work hard, are geneous with time and concern for others, seem very happy and you just know they will always do the right thing no matter what the cost.
Your mom was good in bed.
No one can measure goodness. You can't say a person is "truly good" simply because they do everything that you agree with. What if other people have different opinions? Does that make them fakely good or not good? Your view of this seems to be warped.
Wow that was truly an interesting reaction to my thread. Did I say anything about whether this person would agree with me.My thread was warped? This topic seemd to create some dissonance for you.
someone else wrote:
No one can measure goodness. You can't say a person is "truly good" simply because they do everything that you agree with. What if other people have different opinions? Does that make them fakely good or not good? Your view of this seems to be warped.
Conundrum wrote:
Wow that was truly an interesting reaction to my thread. Did I say anything about whether this person would agree with me.
My thread was warped? This topic seemd to create some dissonance for you.
someone else wrote:No one can measure goodness. You can't say a person is "truly good" simply because they do everything that you agree with. What if other people have different opinions? Does that make them fakely good or not good? Your view of this seems to be warped.
No, I'm just saying that you can't measure goodness. All I'm asking is, whose standard of goodness are you using to determine if someone is "truly good"? There's no such thing as a truly good person, IMO. We all have done wrong at some point. So what is the point of this thread, anyway?
yes
someone else wrote:
No one can measure goodness. You can't say a person is "truly good" simply because they do everything that you agree with. What if other people have different opinions? Does that make them fakely good or not good? Your view of this seems to be warped.
let me guess. you're a wall street broker, or aspiring so. the op's definition of a good person was absurdly broad and i don't know if you could really argue against it. work hard, genuinely care for others, be trusted to do the right thing no matter the consequences. maybe you're not selfless, like the definition of good person implies, and therefore you don't want to believe that you're not entirely good. it's why the fountainhead was written, to assuage guilt. all things are relative of course. but there are SOME loose standards.
[quote]Conundrum wrote:
Wow that was truly an interesting reaction to my thread. Did I say anything about whether this person would agree with me.
My thread was warped? This topic seemd to create some dissonance for you.
quote]
No you just don't understand what the other poster is trying to tell you.
Because morality and goodness do change throughout societies and throughout time.
I see abortion as a morally right choice under certain circumstances...you might disagree for all circumstances...Who is the good person here? Am I a bad morally corrupt person because I disagree with you? (and no I am not trying to change the argument to abortion)
Whose morals are you following they are not universal?
Beating a woman because she disrespects her husband in Saudi Arabia is considered good and right. To me that is repulsive. Their morals are different than mine. In their society that man is a good and righteous man. In mine he deserves to be locked up and beating himself.
Robbing a gas station to feed someone’s kids might be considered good and just to the person robbing the gas station because his kids are starving. But to the police that person is not good and they will use extreme force to stop him.
But in the end I see where you are coming from...and no I have never met a truly good person who will always do what is right no matter the circumstance. The person doesn't exist. No one is perfect and there never will be a perfect person. I do know descent folks who do good deeds all the time.
People are people in the end all actions that someone does, even good ones, is to help strengthen their own chance for survival.
I have: the first woman (well, other than my mom) that I loved. She was simply a good person--don't know how to say more. I suspect that everyone who knew her, loved her.
And she was absolutely brilliant, too. Sadly, she died at a young age, leaving her husband and young daughter. And hundreds of grieving friends, students, and colleagues.
Barb, I miss you still.
I strongly disagree with the essence of your post. I will agree with some minor parts. There are some relative and gray areas (depending on perspective) determining the morality of isolated behaviors. But there is a fundamental real across culture definition of goodness. Granted not all societies are equally good, in fact some cultures are downright bad. It might be acceptable for Nazis to see other Nazis torcher others but that reflects a bad culture.I think there are fundamental good qualities that cross most cultures. I have come across a couple people in my life that just impress me so with their goodness. They are remarkable people and their goodness isn't some relative quality that only exists based upon the biases of a particular group. They have a certain empathy and generousity of spirit. They have a joy lof life and generally are hard workers. There behavior is dictated by their values.
Swofford11 wrote:
[quote]Conundrum wrote:
Wow that was truly an interesting reaction to my thread. Did I say anything about whether this person would agree with me.
My thread was warped? This topic seemd to create some dissonance for you.
quote]
No you just don't understand what the other poster is trying to tell you.
Because morality and goodness do change throughout societies and throughout time.
I see abortion as a morally right choice under certain circumstances...you might disagree for all circumstances...Who is the good person here? Am I a bad morally corrupt person because I disagree with you? (and no I am not trying to change the argument to abortion)
Whose morals are you following they are not universal?
Beating a woman because she disrespects her husband in Saudi Arabia is considered good and right. To me that is repulsive. Their morals are different than mine. In their society that man is a good and righteous man. In mine he deserves to be locked up and beating himself.
Robbing a gas station to feed someone’s kids might be considered good and just to the person robbing the gas station because his kids are starving. But to the police that person is not good and they will use extreme force to stop him.
But in the end I see where you are coming from...and no I have never met a truly good person who will always do what is right no matter the circumstance. The person doesn't exist. No one is perfect and there never will be a perfect person. I do know descent folks who do good deeds all the time.
People are people in the end all actions that someone does, even good ones, is to help strengthen their own chance for survival.
[quote]Conundrum wrote:
I strongly disagree with the essence of your post. I will agree with some minor parts. There are some relative and gray areas (depending on perspective) determining the morality of isolated behaviors. But there is a fundamental real across culture definition of goodness. Granted not all societies are equally good, in fact some cultures are downright bad. It might be acceptable for Nazis to see other Nazis torcher others but that reflects a bad culture.
I think there are fundamental good qualities that cross most cultures. I have come across a couple people in my life that just impress me so with their goodness. They are remarkable people and their goodness isn't some relative quality that only exists based upon the biases of a particular group. They have a certain empathy and generousity of spirit. They have a joy lof life and generally are hard workers. There behavior is dictated by their values.
I agree. And I have been fortunate enough to meet some really good people.
Conundrum wrote:
The type of person who seems to have an aura of goodness about them. They work hard, are geneous with time and concern for others, seem very happy and you just know they will always do the right thing no matter what the cost.
There is ONE person I know that is truly selfless. He cares about others more than himself. I don't know how to explain it. He was on my high school wrestling team. I've never heard of this guy saying anything bad about anyone. I wish I was more like him.
I'm lucky to have met and know a few. That's a great question, Conundrum!
I'm a bad person so I tend to see the worst in everybody. Some people come across as good but after you spend some time with them you can usually see their motivations, insecurities and ambitions and how these influence their actions. In my mind, a person who is motivated by insecurity or ambition is not a good person (also according to your definition, perhaps).
The only person who I could never figure out in that way and whose actions seemed genuinely motivated by a concern for others and generosity would be my grandma on my mother's side. Not only was she a good person but was also so calm and self-assured. She seemed to have life figured out.
I love my mom, dad and other family members but I see that they would break the rules and hurt others to ensure their children's well-being. Good parents but, perhaps, not good people.
Conundrum wrote:
The type of person who seems to have an aura of goodness about them. They work hard, are geneous with time and concern for others, seem very happy and you just know they will always do the right thing no matter what the cost.
i was just thinking about this the other day. i decided this kid i knew in high school is probably the "goodest" person i have ever met. not "good" as in "goody-two-shoes," just good as in the kind of person that everyone in the world should strive to be more like. he was a pretty good football player and shot putter, an exceptional violinist, a great student and just very very intelligent. but all of those "talents" or whatever you choose to call them were negligible next to his just general character -- his extraordinary "goodness." he had the talent to pursue virtually any career path, but he chose to become a firefighter -- a fitting occupation for such a selfless individual.
Yes, I've met several. They're out there. I hope you all get to meet them.
johnny langenwanker wrote:
someone else wrote:No one can measure goodness. You can't say a person is "truly good" simply because they do everything that you agree with. What if other people have different opinions? Does that make them fakely good or not good? Your view of this seems to be warped.
let me guess. you're a wall street broker, or aspiring so. the op's definition of a good person was absurdly broad and i don't know if you could really argue against it. work hard, genuinely care for others, be trusted to do the right thing no matter the consequences. maybe you're not selfless, like the definition of good person implies, and therefore you don't want to believe that you're not entirely good. it's why the fountainhead was written, to assuage guilt. all things are relative of course. but there are SOME loose standards.
You're entirely wrong, of course. Seriously, why do people make guesses when they know they are probably wrong? Your mind-reading skills are terrible, so you best not even play that game.
As for my point, it was that people are going to get on here and start debating that such and such person is better than another, inevitably. I'm just pointing out the futility of this conversation since there is no way to tell if someone is truly good. Even if they see them that way, they don't know what that person does when no one is looking.
interesting question wrote:
I'm a bad person so I tend to see the worst in everybody. Some people come across as good but after you spend some time with them you can usually see their motivations, insecurities and ambitions and how these influence their actions. In my mind, a person who is motivated by insecurity or ambition is not a good person (also according to your definition, perhaps).
I don't see what the problem with what you might call "enlightened self-interest" is. When you get right down to it, just about everything anyone does can be plausibly traced back to self-interest.
Chairman Wow wrote:
I don't see what the problem with what you might call "enlightened self-interest" is. When you get right down to it, just about everything anyone does can be plausibly traced back to self-interest.
Indeed.
I would go further and say that it is actually impossible to consciously act against one's own self interest. One can only do what one wants to do...i.e. act toward what one wants.
im a dick, not original wrote:
Your mom was good in bed.
Your mom smiled, swallowed, and never called me again. Now that's nice!