Wild Card Time! Lets Dig into Goodness
I rolled "Beliefs" and "Has your idea of what means to be a good person changed?"
Oh, boy… I had to get this question, now. During a time where everyone seems to think they are “good” or “doing good” but so many people just don’t seem to get it. My idea of what it means to be a good person has evolved, but I’m not sure it has changed that much.
I’m starting my FOURTH draft of this… ugh. Politics & religion keeps creeping in, and I’m trying to avoid it- then again, maybe that’s saying something too.
When I was a kid, I tended to trust people, take them at their word and believe that they were good. As a teacher I would come home saying of my students and sometimes colleagues “their heart is in the right place, but…” Now, I see people who do a great job of playing at being good, but really only think about themselves. So maybe that’s what defines good- thinking about the welfare of others more than you think about your own welfare? Maybe it’s just being nice, or saying a kind word. Maybe it’s not saying what you really want to say… hence being on my FOURTH draft.
I think my idea really boils down to what was once called the golden rule… treat other people the way you would want to be treated. Unfortunately, in today’s society we have to attack those who are different from us, even if they have never done us any harm. We use religion, politics, or whatever social media silo we live in to justify our treatment of others. Why do we have to interfere with the lives of people who aren’t hurting us? Is that really doing good? Do you even know someone in that group that you hate so much?
Being a good person may be limited by your comfort level. I’m an introvert, so going out and marching, isn’t something I do. It may be limited by your means. I’m a retired public school teacher, so giving money to support things, especially in this economy, isn’t going to happen. I’m trying to make sure that my family can live as well as possible for as long as possible if something were to happen to me. I’ll support a cause, but not necessarily financially.
This may be how my idea of what it means has changed… I will help others to the extent I can, it might be something as simple as drawing or designing something for a friend’s business, or organization I support. Saying a kind word, wearing a pin in support of a cause, giving someone a hug, volunteering… Yes, simple easy things, but still something.
I tend to try to ask myself this- “Is this helpful or harmful?” “Is this nice or mean?” “How could this action be taken in isolation?” I fail many times, thinking I’m being funny, and no one gets the joke, or they are offended. A much younger me would often time write it off- now, not so much. Knowing that everyone has feelings and those should be acknowledged. Maybe that’s how my idea of a good person has changed. A good person “does no harm.”
I hope someday to be a good person, but maybe my past experiences and upbringing make that darn near impossible - I’ll keep trying…
This is based on the Wild Card podcast by Rachel Martin on NPR. Thanks for the inspiration.