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Essay / Attributes of a Good Person
Being a good person is somewhat of an acquired quality, but also an innate characteristic. Deciding to be a good person is a complex task. This is much easier to say with words than to accomplish with actions. Many people have genes that cause immoral thought processes. These specified genes interfere with their goodwill intention. However, it is important to fight our demons to try to treat others with kindness and behave in a caring manner. Such caring mannerism is necessary both around and behind the backs of others. In order to behave like a good person, one must remain consciously aware of one's actions by questioning how one's actions affect others. The meaning of being a good person involves demonstrating integrity in all contexts, admitting faults, and being willing to change wrong behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayMany people believe that they are good-natured people simply because their intentions are benevolent. However, a person may intend to speak and act righteously, but unintentionally hurt others through their words or actions. For example, one may attempt to compliment someone by commenting on their weight, but the person receiving the compliment may react in a completely negative way. Therefore, we must rationalize our words before uttering questionable statements that may offend, harm or seriously harm the fragile human spirit of our friends, family or neighbor. I personally experienced a situation where I thought my compliments were welcome. Years ago, I constantly complimented and commented on the race of my Asian American cousins. Because my cousins are Korean, I often commented on certain traditions that they kept quiet out of fascination with their culture. However, this fascination led me to make unintentionally rude comments. Granted, I am in no way racist, but simply out of ignorance, I would make several statements about their race. While insulting them, I told them Asian jokes such as "How did you get 95% on your test?" It’s an Asian F! » Even though at the time my obscene humor was very intrusive, I did not notice the harm I was depositing in their psyche. The thoughtless comments made my cousins feel different from other Americans. Finally, one day, my cousin explained to me in tears that she was terribly ashamed of her race. She felt that others perceived her differently than a person of another racial identity. I quickly realized that my stupid and irrelevant comments were greatly reinforcing my cousin's emotions. I immediately stopped my immature comments and never spoke about my Korean cousins' racial identity again. Although I intended not to cause any harm to my cousins, I quickly understood his emotions and changed my actions because I did not want any harm to my cousin. What does it mean to be a good person? I believe that a good person has the ability to admit their faults and adjust their actions. When my cousin cried because of the shame of her race, I had the ability to ignore her emotions. I had the option of believing that my actions were simply because I had no intention of harming him. However, I chose to ban my hurtful comments in order to protect her from negative feelings. Good people possess the will to change bad actions. Mydefinition of evil involves suppressing goodness. For example, banishing happiness from one's life by creating misery in its place would be extremely wrong in my eyes. The willingness to change one's actions for a good cause is an essential quality to possess to maintain the reputation of a good person. In order to identify a good person, it is crucial to discern bad qualities. Some people are naturally loving, forgiving, caring, and kind. On the contrary, many people are inherently immoral. Such a loathsome personality results when a person is unable to admit his flaws. A person who does not deserve to be called good is one who sees his faults, but fails to adjust his behavior. Corrupt individuals who see their faults and try to adjust their actions are good people in my opinion. For example, some people naturally treat others with disrespect, but attempt to modify their actions by changing their perceptions of others. This change, or attempt at change, portrays good character. A narcissist is an apt example of a mean person. Those who possess narcissistic characteristics have very high self-esteem and sincerely believe that it is impossible for them to do harm. When I made racist jokes towards my cousin, my narcissistic self continued my actions. I would think my crude jokes were fair. I would just think my cousin was too 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 rude 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 avoided admitting my faults, the more narcissistic I became. This self-centeredness, overconfidence and lack of concern for others would cause me to lose friendships. The longer I delay facing my flaws, the more narcissistic I become. I would lose my mind and die alone. Mean people are not liked by others. There is a direct correlation between cruelty and the disapproval of others. A person can only ignore their faults for a limited time. On the other hand, those who care about people are generally sympathetic individuals. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, my definition of a good person involves noticing flaws and adjusting behavior. Good people are not nice in public for their social image, but firmly believe in goodwill. Second, those who never realize or care about their faults will never be able to change their bad actions. The definition of “good” varies according to each individual. Therefore, my definition of a good person completely contradicts many other opinions. Such contradiction of opinions healthily nourishes our mentalities by giving us the chance to conform to the best people we are capable of being. Works CitedBandura, A. (1999). Moral disengagement in the perpetration of inhumanities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3(3), 193-209. Batson, CD, Ahmad, N. and Tsang, J. (2002). Four motivations for community involvement. Journal of Social Issues, 58(3), 429-445. Baumeister, RF and Exline, JJ (2000). Virtue, personality and social relationships: self-control as moral muscle. Journal of Personality, 68(6), 1165-1194. Deci, EL and Ryan, RM (2000). The “what” and the “why” of,, 5(4), 388-394.