Being a good person is in some way an acquired quality, but also an innate characteristic. Deciding to be a good person is a complex task. It is much easier to say it in words than to realize it with actions. Many people possess genes that cause immoral thought processes. These specific genes interfere with their goodwill intent. However, it is important to fight our demons in an effort to treat others with kindness and behave benevolently. Such benevolent mannerism is necessary both around and behind the backs of others. To behave like a good person, one must remain consciously aware of their actions while questioning how their actions affect others. The meaning of being a good person involves maintaining integrity in every context, admitting flaws, and achieving the will to change faulty behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Many people believe that they are good-natured people simply because their intentions are benevolent. However, a person may want to speak and act righteously, but unintentionally hurt others through his or her words or actions. For example, you may attempt to give a person a compliment by commenting on their body weight, but the individual receiving the compliment may react in an entirely negative manner. As a result, we must rationalize our words before making questionable statements that could offend, harm, or seriously harm our friends, family, or neighbor's fragile human spirit. I personally experienced a situation where I believed my compliments were welcome. Years ago, I constantly complimented and commented on the race of my Asian American cousins. Since my cousins are Korean, I often commented on certain traditions that they hid due to the fascination of their culture. However, this fascination led me to make unintentionally rude comments. I am certainly not racist in any way, but simply out of ignorance I would make several statements about their race. Insulting them, I made Asian jokes like “How did you get a 95% on your test? That's an Asian F!” Although my bawdy humor was severely intrusive at the time, I didn't notice the damage I was depositing in their psyche. The thoughtless comments made my cousins feel different than other Americans. Finally, one day, my cousin tearfully explained to me that she was incredibly ashamed of her race. She felt that others perceived her differently than they would see a person with any other racial identity. I quickly realized that my stupid and irrelevant comments significantly strengthened my cousin's emotions. I immediately stopped my immature comments and never spoke about the racial identity of my Korean cousins again. Even though I intended not to cause any harm to my cousins, I quickly became aware of my cousin's emotions and modified my actions because I did not want misery for my cousin. What does it mean to be a good person? I believe that a good person has the ability to admit their flaws and adapt their actions. When my cousin cried in shame about her race, I had the option to ignore her emotions. I had the option to believe that my actions were simply because I didn't mean to hurt her. However, I chose to banish my hurtful words to protect her from negative feelings. Good people possess the will to change evil actions. My definition of evil involves taking away goodness. For example, banish happiness from your lifecreating misery instead would be extremely evil in my eyes. The willingness to change actions for a good cause is an essential quality to possess to maintain the reputation of a good person. To identify a good person, it is crucial to discern evil qualities. Some people love, forgive, care and naturally resonate with kindness. On the contrary, many people are innately immoral. Such a repugnant personality results when a person is unable to admit his own shortcomings. A person who does not deserve to be called good is a person who sees his own flaws, but cannot adapt his behavior. In my opinion, corrupt individuals who see their own flaws and attempt to correct their actions are good people. For example, some people naturally treat others with disrespect, but attempt to alter their actions by changing their perception of people. This change, or attempted change, portrays good character. A narcissist is a good example of an evil person. Those who possess narcissistic characteristics have a very high opinion of themselves and truly believe that it is impossible for them to do anything wrong. When I made racist jokes towards my cousin, my narcissistic self continued my actions. I would believe my vulgar jokes were right. I would simply believe that my cousin was overly sensitive. Because of my insensitivity, I would lose my cousin's friendship. As a narcissist, I wouldn't ask for forgiveness, but I would laugh at his insecurity. Instead of learning from his insecurity, I would continue my crude actions. As a result, I would continue to see the world only from my perspective. This one-sided thinking would lead me to believe that I am superior to everyone I meet. The more I ran away from admitting my flaws, the more narcissistic I became. This self-centeredness, overconfidence, and lack of care for others would cause me to lose friends. The longer I delay addressing my flaws, the more narcissistic I become. I would lose my sanity and die alone. Evil people are not liked by others. There is a direct correlation between cruelty and disapproval from others. A person can ignore his shortcomings only for a limited period of time. Those who care about people, on the other hand, are generally nice individuals. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, my definition of a good person involves noticing flaws and adapting behavior. Good people are not nice in public for social image, but instead firmly believe in goodwill. Secondly, those who never realize or care to notice their own shortcomings will never be able to change evil deeds. The definition of “good” varies from individual to individual. Therefore, my definition of a good person completely contradicts many other opinions. This contradiction of opinions feeds our mentality in a healthy way, giving us the opportunity to conform to the best people we are capable of being. Works Cited Bandura, A. (1999). Moral disengagement in the perpetration of inhumane acts. Review of Personality and Social Psychology, 3(3), 193-209. Batson, C. D., Ahmad, N., & Tsang, J. (2002). Four reasons for community involvement. Journal of Social Issues, 58(3), 429-445.Baumeister, R. F., & Exline, J. J. (2000). Virtue, personality and social relationships: self-control as a moral muscle. Journal of Personality, 68(6), 1165-1194.Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuit: Human needs and behavioral self-determination. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268. Eisenbeiss, S.A.,,, 5(4), 388-394.
tags