What Makes You a Good Person ?

Ruthanne

Ruthanne

Caregiver
Location
Midwest
Personally I think most. People are good people. I consider myself a good person and many others do too.

I do my best to make people pleased and happier than they had been. I take my inventory and see I have so many good intentions even though I have fallen short at times. I try to do better and make it up after I find I've fallen short of what I am. I often apologize for making mistakes. I see we all make mistakes. Yes, all of us do!

I am open to making changing on many things but not all.

I try to help all the people and animals that I can. I try to spread goodwill to people and all of our equals who are what we call the animals.

I take care of the animals as best I can. They deserve good care! I do feel for people too but refuse to be taken advantage of. Long ago I was taken greatly advantage of and suffered so much pain and anguish and my PTSD makes me relive it more often than anyone would know.

How about you? What makes you a good person? 💝
 

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Great subject @Ruthanne , thanks. :)

The below is a good link on the subject of being a good person. For each term beyond the short snippets I added, the web page explains what each means with examples. Most of my adult life I've worked to generally be a good person but there have been times I failed badly, especially as a young adult, learned from those experiences, and was intent to change.

One quality I still feel somewhat lacking in, is that I realizing my brief finite, mortal, existence, tend to ignore much of the negativity in the world, hiding myself from its pain, while selfishly pursuing my own enjoyments. As the saying from my generation stated, "I tuned in and dropped out", from the mainstream society for which I still am somewhat attached.

I sometimes use the metaphor: In this immense world, I am like a small twig floating down the vast Mississippi River, unable to do much more than float along in the current, hoping to not get pulled under and stuck below, drowning in its murky, underwater depths.

One reason I still attend mass is most of those that attend church are good people, simple, trying to do the right thing. Although others can criticize a minor number of things their religion and church authorities stand for, or what some hijacking its power in a church's history did, such does not necessarily bare on its specific well meaning individuals. And I for one will not abandon them for shortcomings and faults of those that don't. Further in the case of Christianity I am committed to for the sake of my own eternal life, Jesus very clearly asked us to share that journey of community with others.

15 Qualities That Are At The Core Of Every 'Good' Person

1. Prudence
A good person is a prudent person. Prudence is the ability to determine whether or not a particular action is a good (or appropriate) idea at that specific point in time. It’s considered to be one of the four cardinal virtues, derived originally from Plato’s Republic.

2. Temperance
Although most people interpret temperance as being abstinence from something, what it actually means is moderation. Having temperance means finding the middle path, and balancing the self in the face of any situation. It encompasses self-discipline and self-awareness. After all, you have to know your own abilities as well as your own limits in order to find the moderate zone between them.

3. Courage
Good people often show courage. Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but rather the ability to take action even though you feel afraid. It is knowing that there is a difficult, potentially dangerous task ahead of you, but doing it because you know it needs to be done.

4. Compassion
Being compassionate isn’t just about understanding someone else’s pain. It’s also the desire to help alleviate it. One can look at a person and see that they’re suffering (sympathy) and then walk on by. But when we want to do what we can to help, then that’s compassion in action.

Ultimately, the basic element of compassion is kindness. We want to give of our own abilities to help another being who may be suffering. We can have compassion for people, animals, trees, rivers… anything that seems to be in distress that we can help to lessen.

5. Generosity
Generosity is a quality often associated with a good person. When we have a surplus of something, it’s important to share with others who have less. Even if we don’t have a surplus, it’s important to share with others.

6. Patience
This is one of the qualities that many admire, but it is also one of the most difficult to put into practice. It’s possible that this is because few of use are actually patient by nature.

7. Respect
Respect is undoubtedly a characteristic of a good person. When we talk about respect, we’re encompassing various aspects thereof. This includes respect for other people, self-respect, respect for life, for nature, etc. Tolerance, esteem, appreciation, and recognition are just a few aspects of respect that can come into play.

8. Tolerance
Tolerance means accepting that others may think, behave, or live differently than we are, without trying to change their ways to suit our own preferences. In simplest terms: live and let live. [David's "Let it Be"]

9. Integrity
A good person will act with integrity. Integrity means doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching. It’s holding to your individual moral and ethical convictions despite other people’s opinions and influences. Especially when it’s difficult to do so.

10. Commitment
This one goes along with integrity, but expands upon it differently. Commitment means that you’ve held to your word, even if it was difficult to do so.

11. Honesty
Honesty is often expressed as a quality of a good person. After all, if you discovered that someone lied to you, could you ever trust them again? If they lied to you that time, what would stop them from lying to you about everything and anything else?

12. Humility
You know the type of person who’s always bragging about how awesome they are? Humility is the opposite of that. Humility is holding to the idea that no person is greater or lesser than any others, despite popularity, wealth, titles, or achievements.

13. Strength
The strength that makes a good person is mental and emotional rather than physical. Strength can be shown in a gentle way, albeit one that is unyielding. Look at Mahatma Gandhi and his hunger strike. It took immense strength to quash his own hunger, though agonizing, in order to work toward positive change.

14. Love
There are many different types of love, despite the fact that only one word is used to encompass them in the Western world. We’re mostly familiar with romantic love, or the love felt between parents and children. But we can love humanity or nature with all our hearts as well. And we know that we love when we pour our energy toward other beings’ happiness, health, success, and freedom.

Some people mistake infatuation for love. Or possessiveness. Someone might love another person because they feel that the other person will give them what they need. Similarly, they might love a pet, or a house, or any other being or creature that brings them fulfillment. In contrast, when we truly love a person, our greatest wish is for their happiness.

15. Self-awareness
You know in your gut when you’ve done wrong, or when you have done good.
 
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Will add beyond the positive qualities listed in the above post, there is an even longer list of bad qualities of which many can readily in balance, negate the good one does, especially if such affects the well being of others. In this modern technological era, there are many new temptations and actions that we humans must have the inner strength and self control to resist.
 
Repondering said:
Don't cause suffering to anything that's alive, as much as that's possible.
Try to be helpful.

That's pretty simple but it's not a bad place to start from.
Click to expand...
You are right, many of us have mostly been that way most our lives. At least I have to speak for myself. We all fall short once in awhile I bet, too. Thanks 😊
 
My boy dog Mason thinks I'm a good person and that counts for something.
I don't block the grocery aisle with my cart.
I don't get tired of being good to ungrateful people.
But don't allow them to confuse goodness with weakness.
I use my blinkers when driving and making a turn.
I'm so good, sometimes I settle for that rather than choosing better.
 
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Great post Ruthanne!! I think most people strive to be good people and help others. We all fall short at times. If I am a jerk to someone I feel bad and try not to do it again.
 
We went to visit the Kids today and played with 3 yr. JoJo. Coloring, cutting stuff out, building Mr. Potato Head that kind of stuff.
I took a little nap cause I was tired after being up late last night watching How the West WAS WON episodes.
 
Just basic kindness, respect, say please and thank you. No judgement, we are all equal regardless of age, wealth, color, body size, sexual preference or those that are different in anyway. Just like your Momma told you "If you don't have something nice to say, dont say anything at all."

Respect and help your elders. Kind of funny now that I am an elder but I will help others my age or older. I hold doors open, I fetch things at the store that are out of reach. I am very aware of those that are handicapped, not intrusive, but if I see someone struggling, I offer to help. I also think it is important to acknowledge children or others that may have a mental handicap. An autistic child knows when you smile, say hello. Make them a part of the world they live in.

Lastly, if you encounter a homeless person, don't look down on them. You do not how their life has come to this point. I don't give money but I will buy food and drink if I encounter them outside a grocery. A premade sandwich and a bottle of pop can be a blessing to someone.
 
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