Are you a good person?

by Xanthippe 40 Replies latest jw friends

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  clarity

  Xan...........yes I am a good person. You are over thinking.

  Have another glass of wine or go for a walk. "-)

  clarity
• 

  Oubliette

  Yes I am. Thanks for asking.
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  Xanthippe

  Clarity lol. It's 11pm here I am going to bed in a minute, work tomorrow

  I am actually getting somewhere with this and also Band's thoughts have helped me because I believe I see people who protect their own interests as selfish. That's my cult upbringing. It's that I need to deal with - tomorrow.
• 

  mynameislame

  Definitely a tricky question. Just watch a few episodes of Dexter. Talk about cognitive dissonance! Is he a good or a bad person?
  
  If you give money to a homeless person and he goes out and buys drugs or alcohol with it does that make you a bad person or a good one?
  If you donate to the less fortunate are you really helping them or are you encouraging them to rely on handouts instead of taking responsibility for themselves? If you have enough for yourself and your family are you a bad person if you don't donate the extra to people in need?
  
  Most everyone would agree that Scrooge was a bad person but I was listing to a podcast about how A Christmas Carol is actually teaching a terrible lesson. The reality is that, although Scrooge complained about it, he gave Crachet the day off with pay. He was derided for collecting what was his just because it was Christmas. His redemption was to put himself out of business by allowing all his debtors off the hook. The only thing he was really guilty of was being grouchy. There were a lot more examples that I don't remember but it was a fairly convincing argument after thinking about it.
  
  
  There is no such thing as selfish, or everything you do is selfish depending on how you look at it.
  There are two drivers for all our actions, gaining pleasure or avoiding pain.
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  transhuman68

  I think it is a flawed concept. People make a religion out of anything- even society- thinking there is a level of goodness to attain to to gain some mysterious intangible benefit somehow, and it is just a dream. It is better just to be natural, to help a blind person across a road, for example; but also to take our 'guilty pleasures' when we want them- without feeling guilty, of course. I have given up on the concept of good & bad- it doesn't work for me.
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  clarity

  Xan ...you are probably sleeping at this moment, sorry if I

  sounded a bit silly! I get what y ou are saying here ......>

  *

  "I see people who protect their own interests as selfish.

  That's my cult upbringing. It's that I need to deal with."

  *

  Maybe it is a balance, sort of like the old illustration of putting

  on your oxygen mask first ......so you can then help others!

  *

  I have to admit that when members of cliques only stick to

  themselves I do feel a sense of betrayed somehow. :-(

  clarity
• 

  cultBgone

  I think so much of the jw-speak we learned involved labeling others...even our "brothers and sisters" who were classified as "good" or "bad" depending on (a) our personal view of the WT rules, and (b) how those people measured up to our view of those rules.

  Judging others as Good or Bad comes from cultish behavior.

  If you allow yourself to care about your fellow humans just as humans, like you, they are never Good or Bad. We may have experienced misfortune, hardship, bad decision-making...but really we are all just searching to find our way day to day.

  Once we remove the shackles of WT-jw-think from our minds, we begin to stop labeling people, including ourselves. When the constant load of guilt is removed, we find that we are all pretty cool people just trying to get along in this world.

  We are all basically good persons. Some of us just have more baggage and bruises than others. Even those who react violently to others are struggling with their inner problems, and they direct their issues outward into violence. Inside, they are someone's son or daughter who probably had a really crappy life. Doesn't make them evil...just damaged. Not bad. Outwardly maybe bad, but inside they have goodness buried deep inside.

  So yes...I am a good person. As are you, and anyone reading this. Love to all.
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  villagegirl

  Even Jesus said " Don't call me good, only God is good."
• 

  krejames

  I am so good, I'm much better than you 'orrible lot. AND I'm the most humble person in the world, I'll have you know...
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  Ucantnome

  i think it depends how you define good but most often i feel i'm not.