Scenic Vistas (views) from the Only Perspective that Matters (yours)
Genuine tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong. They are conflicts between two rights. ~Georg Hegel
The other day, I had a conversation with an old friend from college. It was more of a spirited debate, actually, about the nature of good and evil, right and wrong etc. My world view, will, I'm quite sure, be of no surprise to you--I believe "good" is a matter of perspective and convenience,
and that "right" is determined by whoever has "the bigger gun" so to speak.
(This is not a political world-view--meaning, regardless of the politics of the times, I always think this way).
I don't know if I am right about this, but it seems to me that the good people of the world outweigh the bad. My perspective on this rarely shifts, and is also reinforced when tragedies such as the one in Parkland, FL, or Aurora, CO, or Newtown, Connecticut, or Ferguson, MO, or San Bernardino, CA, or Berlin Germany, Boston MA, Nice, France (I could go on but why depress us all further) occur. I believe it is an objectively unfair universe we inhabit, although I have a hunch it has a way of righting its ownself from time to time.
So the debate between my friend and I ensued.
My friend's world view was quite a bit different than mine--much more idealistic and much more indicative of his personality. In his eyes, my friend (his name is Ahmed) is certain that good always conquers evil, the meek shall inherit the Earth, all you need is love etc etc etc. He goes on to posit that good things come to good people and eventually, all the pieces will fall into place if you live a good life. Seriously, that's really what he believes. He's a really sweet guy--it boggles me.
(I keep him around, this college buddy, because he gives me hope, and when I am feeling way too misanthropic and cynical for my own good, he gives me balance. All of the other times I mock him shamelessly for his "dreamy" and (what I consider to be) unrealistic view of the world).
So, my question(s) for you this week is--where in our spectrum does your world view fall?
Do you think people are mostly bad or mostly good?
What determines that?
Do you think that the person who does the right thing always wins?
If so, what's the prize?
Are there clear-cut answers about what's right and what's wrong?
How is it all measured? Let's get a little Lang-y and tell a story (real or metaphorical--no matter) to illustrate/exemplify your points.
Try to think of an example about which you feel passionately. It is usually passion that dictates what your true beliefs are. However, when we use passion to describe or talk about them, we run the risk of sounding like we can't be taken seriously. So, try to temper your passion (your pathos) with your logic (your logos).
The other day, I had a conversation with an old friend from college. It was more of a spirited debate, actually, about the nature of good and evil, right and wrong etc. My world view, will, I'm quite sure, be of no surprise to you--I believe "good" is a matter of perspective and convenience,
and that "right" is determined by whoever has "the bigger gun" so to speak.
(This is not a political world-view--meaning, regardless of the politics of the times, I always think this way).
I don't know if I am right about this, but it seems to me that the good people of the world outweigh the bad. My perspective on this rarely shifts, and is also reinforced when tragedies such as the one in Parkland, FL, or Aurora, CO, or Newtown, Connecticut, or Ferguson, MO, or San Bernardino, CA, or Berlin Germany, Boston MA, Nice, France (I could go on but why depress us all further) occur. I believe it is an objectively unfair universe we inhabit, although I have a hunch it has a way of righting its ownself from time to time.
So the debate between my friend and I ensued.
My friend's world view was quite a bit different than mine--much more idealistic and much more indicative of his personality. In his eyes, my friend (his name is Ahmed) is certain that good always conquers evil, the meek shall inherit the Earth, all you need is love etc etc etc. He goes on to posit that good things come to good people and eventually, all the pieces will fall into place if you live a good life. Seriously, that's really what he believes. He's a really sweet guy--it boggles me.
(I keep him around, this college buddy, because he gives me hope, and when I am feeling way too misanthropic and cynical for my own good, he gives me balance. All of the other times I mock him shamelessly for his "dreamy" and (what I consider to be) unrealistic view of the world).
So, my question(s) for you this week is--where in our spectrum does your world view fall?
Do you think people are mostly bad or mostly good?
What determines that?
Do you think that the person who does the right thing always wins?
If so, what's the prize?
Are there clear-cut answers about what's right and what's wrong?
How is it all measured? Let's get a little Lang-y and tell a story (real or metaphorical--no matter) to illustrate/exemplify your points.
Try to think of an example about which you feel passionately. It is usually passion that dictates what your true beliefs are. However, when we use passion to describe or talk about them, we run the risk of sounding like we can't be taken seriously. So, try to temper your passion (your pathos) with your logic (your logos).
I believe that people are mostly good but with bad qualities. Or some people make bad choices. I think this is because some people grow up in a bad house hold. They have the choice to do good and be successful, or they can stick with a bad life style a bad mind set. I do not think the person who does right always wins. If you tell the truth like you are supposed to, you can really hurt other peoples feelings. Just because you are doing the right thing in telling the truth does not mean it needs to be said aloud or heard. Going off of what I just said kinda brings me to the next question. I do not believe there are clear cut things that are right or wrong. Some things that are right and wrong are obvious, like you shouldn't murder someone. But some things like if someone asks them how they look you shouldn't say you look terrible, but wouldn't that be lying? So this proves that the right thing and wrong things are not very easy to tell. For an example of deciding what is right or wrong, you can take what I just said. So, the wrong thing would be to say they look disgusting. Some people may also say telling them they look stunning, if they aren't, maybe be wrong too. In this situation we can meet in the middle by maybe fixing there hair or makeup. By doing this you are making them look better but not in a mean way. That is the difference between doing the right thing vs doing the wrong thing.
ReplyDeleteMost people in the world are bad. We all make bad decisions daily no matter the size of the decision or whether we know we’re doing wrong or not. It’s human nature. However the decisions that people don’t know are bad, I don’t see are what make people bad themselves. If that was confusing, I’m basically saying, the decisions can be bad but the person isn’t always bad, depends. What makes someone any less than good to me is when they constantly choose to do wrong in the world and to their peers. Not caring and being heartless in certain situations, not having the courtesy of others in mind, zero generosity, and no forgiveness. Being all these qualities now and then in minor situations isn’t the end of the world, but the consistency with it is what determines a persons morals and overall well-being for their surroundings.
ReplyDeleteIn my eyes, people who are always doing the right things, constantly are living for other people. I always think, why do most of the people we consider bad, are living healthy lives, and the people who are innocent and overall a 10/10 person, get diseases, die in accidents, or suffer? It’s not for me to find out but that sure is how it appears sometimes. Maybe it’s because we like to find a blame for everything that goes wrong, maybe not. I don’t believe those who do the right things all the time always win, but if that person doing the right things continuously has an amazing mindset, it could be in their eyes, they are always winning, who knows. It all differs between person to person, we live different lives, different journeys. What’s tragic to some, isn’t to others, and that goes for everything, what’s exciting, sad, scary, and so on.
I think what’s right and what’s wrong is determined from our morals. We can hear people in higher positions tell us what and what not to do but at the end of the day we will do what’s best for us. In some cases, some people believe what’s best for them is sleep, others choose forgiveness, some choose death, drugs, food, tears, hey, there’s some who choose murder. There are clear rights and wrongs if we were to go to such extremes, like so. However, our minds are of that to decide. I’m sure the person who chooses to murder made that decision as easily as the person who chose to sleep, it was as right to them as the person who wanted to sleep. However, it doesn’t make it morally or lawfully right overall.
A personal story is hard to think of, I can think of everyday things where good and bad comes into play but I’m not too sure of anything significant. Part of the reason, I assume, is because I try to find reasoning for why people in my life choose to be bad or make bad choices. If I find a reason it’s easier to forgive them. But when I can’t find a reason or answer it makes me confused and often frustrated because I don’t like to end on a note that a person is bad. I feel that no person truly, deep down inside wants to be bad, denying mental illnesses in this scenario. People throughout my life have done many things I’d consider to be bad, but somehow in my heart I can’t settle on them being intentionally terrible to another. But the truth is, there are people who choose to make bad choices everyday, it’s life, life isn’t always rays of sunshine, it’s rough, people cause the roughness. Besides the roughness there is sunshine that exists, the people who choose to do good, some who choose good forget the bad, although, we can’t forget the bad, forgetting makes us ignorant, in other terms bad, now that’s just hypocritical.
This is a tough one to answer to me because even though I want to believe that mostly everyone is good with everything that is going on in world recently I don't know how true that really is. I’m going to go with most people in the world aren’t good people. I would say this because I believe that every person will do whatever is in their best interest in order to maintain happiness no matter if it’s within the best interest of everyone else. I think everyone at their core is selfish and will hesitate to help people if it means they have to sacrifice something of their own. People who are “good” people might not always “win” because In my opinion life is all luck and you can do everything correct and be the nicest person in the world but one thing can go wrong that is out of your control. There are no clear answers on what's right and what's wrong because a lot of the time when someone does something that is viewed as wrong to most to that person It might be a necessity or in their eyes there is nothing wrong with it. When I saw that I don't mean like killing people for no reason or anything to that extent; that obviously is wrong no matter what way you look at it. For example if a man steals some food in order to feed his family in the eyes of the law that is a wrong but in the eyes of that man and his family he is doing something that is a necessity. If I were in that situation I wouldn’t steal because it is against the law and just because my life didn’t work out whether it was in my control or not doesn’t give me the right to not follow the laws set for everyone.
ReplyDeleteIn our spectrum, I believe people are mostly good. It took me so long to think about this because there are so many out there who are bad. However, some of the good people just hold bad qualities and makeup within themselves. Almost everyone in their life has made at least one bad decision, but that doesn’t consider them an overall bad person. Bad decisions could be made based off of a person’s living conditions or life problems occuring at that moment, etc. A various amount of things are clear that it’s obviously bad; like murder or bombing/ setting fires in people’s house on purpose and on and on. On the other side of this, some things that are considered bad choices are not so obvious. For the not so obvious ones; the smaller scenarios, people may have their different opinions on how bad that choice is, or if it’s even bad at all. I don’t think that the person who does the right thing always wins in the end. Many times they consider themselves as winners, but that’s not always the case. You could be such a good person, but bam; one thing could happen that’s out of your control and go wrong and then what? The people who constantly have good attitudes and mindsets may think they always do win because that’s all they really know. This question on whether or not good people who do the right thing always win is going to be different for every single person. We all live totally different lives than one another, so of course this will be different based on your views. We all ride different waves in life and we all make decisions to help guide us on our different paths. As life goes on, people learn more and more about some of the decisions they have to make. Some answers about what’s right and what’s wrong are clear, while some aren’t as clear, solely based on who you are. I think what’s right and what’s wrong is measured by lessons. Based off lessons learned from bad choices, many change to become the best they can be because they don’t want a repeat of that same scenario. This isn’t necessarily the case for every single person. For example, a person doesn’t just go to sleep and wake up one morning and decide they want to kill someone. It’s based off of so much more that can happen in their life. It’s all build up. But, this is different from myself. When I went through it at one point in my life, all that build up came out a different way. A way that was best for me and didn’t harm others. The person who decides to kill based off of their build up, could be considered a good person, but then he made such a terrible decision that ruined his life. All of this so called good and bad in life, is so different for everyone and if people weren’t so selfish and became more passionate towards others, this wouldn’t even be a question to ask. Although, I think the good empowers the bad.
ReplyDeleteLike Jenna, I also believe that people are mostly good with bad qualities. I believe that some people have good intentions and want to be good to the world, but sometimes they make mistakes and stuff happens. I don’t believe that people are bad, but I do believe that are some bad apples. Some people don’t always have good qualities and are bad in general, but most are good in my opinion. Not everyone wants to be bad. Although doing the right thing is always good, sometimes the person who does right doesn’t always win. They sacrifice things that they may not have wanted to or they have to put others first before themselves. This can hurt people most of the time. But, not doing the right thing can also hurt. People who do the right thing are often putting themselves after others and trying to help others to the point where it can hurt their own experiences. There aren't clear cut answers about what’s right and what’s wrong sometimes, but there can be hints that help someone out. Hints can help someone determine what is the better choice between something. A time where I did something right and I didn’t win was when trying to help someone in an argument with another friend. It was over text and I tried to help them craft a text that would help and try to eliminate the problem, but it ended up biting me in the butt anyway. Somehow, while trying to help my friends end their argument, the other friend came back at me after finding out I helped the other friend. They said that I was picking sides and didn’t care about them, blah, blah, blah. All I was trying to do was help, and while I ended their argument, I sparked a whole new one with myself and the other friend. Although i did everything to help, it came back at me and I did not win. There are some bad people out there, but most have good intentions and try to be good. People are not all bad.
ReplyDeleteI think people in the world are mostly good. There is too many people in the world for all of them to be considered bad. Yes we may have been dumb and done some stupid things, but that doesn’t classify us as bad people. If the same situations happen over and over again, the idea that you are doing something bad should pop into your mind and you will stop if you truly are a good human being deep down inside. The person that you put out to the public is what people will always see you as. If you appear mean on the outside, but you had no intention of being mean, people will always remember you as being mean. I definitely would not say the person that always does the good thing will always win because honestly I truly believe that it is not the case in all situations. Most people who appear to be “good” on the outside may really be the cruelest person somebody has ever met on the inside. On the other side, there is people that are doing the good and really has luck on their side. They will always be seen as somebody who is good because of their morals and the actions that they do that allows them to have the image that they are better. I don’t think there is really a prize for being good because honestly the only reward is the attention that you get from others. You now have the title that you are a good person and the public just reveals its thoughts and comments on it. I do believe that their are clear cut morals because it is shown through with our actions. The good will do whatever they are told to do. Whether that is from parents, teachers, or really anybody, we do what is told. We listen to the command and we do what is being asked of us because we want to show the public the image of us being good. The bad on the other hand will always find a way to refuse the idea that is being told. They will always have a way to do something that gives them the title of being bad. For an example, a person that robbed a store. They didn’t just rob a store because they wanted too, but rather they needed something that was lacking in their life. In order for them to acquire whatever was lacking, he needed to rob the store. In his eyes, he was doing the good, but in the public's eye, he was doing something that was considered to be bad.
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ReplyDeleteI think people are mostly good. I feel like everyone has some bad in them everyone does its normal, but just everyone wants to show their good side because it defines them and don't want to be seen as a bad person. The decisions you take often determine if you are a good person or not. I don't know any certain type of these situations but i know there is some. The person who also does the right thing isn't always rewarded. For example my parents, I think they are great people but their not being rewarded because then they would have had their papers to be able to stay in the U.S. And just recently a man who has several DUI’s and is always causing trouble in the town, just got his papers. It just doesn't make sense. I recall who told me this phase this weekend but “it's always the good people that die first” and that is just sad because it’s the truth. My Dad’s uncle that just recently died was a great man, he went to church. He took care of his wife, she is now always in a wheelchair and he was always the one helping her and just always doing something for her, and like said before the good people always die first. There is sometimes decisions that are sometimes obviously like for me, if i don't go church because i don't want to, that decision for my parents is wrong and the right decision is to go to church. This is all measured by your morals and just past experience. Like when when i was little i use to break a lot of things and i used to get hit of course as a punishment because it cost a lot of money;. But now that i know how much things really cost and I value money and I wouldn't want my things to be broken and i certainly don't want to get a whooping by my mom again. It really is hard to talk about this because a good decision might be a bad decision for you, vice versa.
ReplyDeleteI think people in this world are mostly bad. Not on purpose or because they choose to be, although there are people that choose to be that way, but because it’s just a natural instinct. Every person is selfish, whether they see it or not. Being selfish is not necessarily bad all the time. Selfish in a way that, you put yourself first and want to achieve your goals and not just serving everybody else. Everybody wants to win at life and be the best. That is what I think makes people mostly bad, but I also don’t think it’s a bad thing itself. People who are considered good people, are those that tend to put everyone above themselves and not really being able to strive for what they want because they are too busy tending to everybody else and never putting themselves first. I think people are mostly bad but, for mostly good reasons, if that makes sense. For example: let’s say your family is having a rough time at home, parent(s) lost their job(s), lost the car because they couldn’t make payments, and there is no food for you or your siblings because there is no money, and the next thing to go is the house. You’re walking down the street with shops all around you. A lady walks out a clothing store with huge bags on her arms, and a $20 bill falls from her purse but she doesn’t know and keeps walking. You pick it up, and pocket it, and decide to go buy food so your family can eat a real dinner tonight. This makes you a bad person for not giving the money back like any “good” person would but, if the lady could spend all that money in the store without a worry, then she wouldn’t be affected by a missing 20, right?
ReplyDeleteI do not think the person who does the right thing always wins, sadly. For them, the prize is knowing it was the right choice and being satisfied with being a good human being. What’s right and what’s wrong is different for everybody. My wrong can be your right, and your wrong can be my right. However there are clear cut moments when things are wrong like serious crimes: murder, rape, drugs etc.
For other situations, I don’t believe there are clear cut situations about what’s right and what’s wrong. Like I said before: my wrong can be your right and your wrong can be my right. I’ve been in situations where I didn’t really know if there was a wrong or right like when it comes to discussions, arguments, opinions, etc., just like when me and Mason are talking about any type of situations and my right is different from his. That does not mean I’m wrong, he’s wrong, we’re wrong. There can be no right when it comes down to opinions. But this is just one of many situations where there is no clear right or wrong. It all comes down to what each person thinks, which answers the question of whether or not they are “good” or “bad”.
I want to think everyone is good in the world, but in reality, we have all have bad, or toxic, traits. Some of us hurt others feelings without realizing it. Some of us procrastinate, talk behind people’s backs, and lie to people’s faces. I am guilty of some of these, I’ll admit it. But, in my opinion, our good traits outweigh our bad ones.
ReplyDeleteI think someone who always does the right thing doesn’t always win. Doing the right thing could hurt someone or hurt yourself, and that’s obviously not a win. In some situations I think there is a clear-cut answer about what is right and wrong. One time my little brother knocked over a candle and the right thing to do is obviously pick it up and pay for it. Of course not every situation you’re in has this easy of a solution, but you get the idea.
I have been trying to work on my bad traits. I try not to distance myself when I’m having a bad day, and I try not to suppress feelings. I’m also trying not to procrastinate as much (that’s not really working) but at least I’m trying. I think if everyone decides to work on their bad traits, the world will be mostly good.
I believe people are mostly bad. I believe this because I believe it is so much easier to be bad.
ReplyDeletePlus, being bad can be more rewarding than being good. We live in a society now where there will be people to argue about anything. People will obviously support you regardless if you're good or bad. That's why people choose to be bad now. People get tired of following the rules and told what to do. Good and bad are easily determinable. Usually simple questions on common morals most Americans (and people) have is a good place to start. If their moral compass is off, they are definitely problematic. Depending on how much these people agree or disagree, we can gauge how "evil" a person is.
The person that does the right thing is not always the winner. The reason we say that is to tempt more people in to doing the right thing. The temptation of victory will make people do anything. People generally don't like losing. This can push people to great lengths. The victor is only determined by who really tries their hardest and does the task the best. Sometimes that's just how it be. Being in the right doesn't always make you the winner. There are certain things that we can clearly identify as being in the right. Don't steal. Don't murder. Don't recklessly endanger others. These things are very clear morals that have been agreed upon for millennia. However, as time has gone by people respect these morals less and less. For example, back in ancient Mesopotamia all the way up to medieval parts of Europe, the punishment for stealing was the removal of a hand. This punishment was very strict and people were more afraid to steal. Now, most people can get away with stealing with a simple "I'm sorry". We have become more relaxed with the way we enforce morals and thus have created a society more apt to doing the wrong thing. Modern society has become too soft (not that I'm saying we should start amputating arms and hands again). It's just that we are now so inclined to do the easy thing, even if its wrong, to get to our goal. That's why I believe there is more evil in the world than good.
I think most people are bad. I know there's always the question of whats good and whats not, but think about it this way. Think about all the people u walk by, see, maybe even talk to. Most or a lot of those people would rather put you down, step on your shoulders to make them feel better, or drag you down as well. Now, out of the people that do show you love which of them will stick around when things get tough? how do you know if they just aren't waiting around until you have something to give them. To me acts caused my selfishness and greed are way more prevalent than the act of doing something nice just because its the right thing to do. For some people just doing something good when it doesn't benefit them is impossible. The problem is simple, People don't measure their success on how much they have gotten better. People measure success on how much better they are doing compared everybody else.
ReplyDeleteToday, the world is very unconcerned with whether or not there is even the slightest possibility of their objector being right. Most people will fight with other people and never even consider the likelihood of them having any reason. From my experiences, I consider myself to be a very open-minded person. I take pride in my ability to look at other people’s perspectives. I believe that I am a mediator, for the most part. When I was younger, I would not have thought this way. I was not willing to consider the other side. Despite this, I still felt sympathetic for them. That’s how I conclude that I was able to improve as a person. For the past few years, I have gotten better at staying on the neutral side and looking at arguments from both sides.
ReplyDeleteFrom a philosophical point of view, the world may not be only bad. As Georg Hegel said, “[genuine tragedies] are conflicts between two rights.” I generally agree with this statement. However, as the mediator I am, I questioned if that were true. Every day of our lives, we lie at least once or fail to complete our work. Sins are what people think of when they hear “evil,” yet we do at least one a day. Does this make us evil? I don’t think so. It’s human nature to accidentally or even purposefully lie. Everyone is as good as you make of them. From what I have learned, people can change. But what is right from wrong? I don’t have an exact answer for you. All I can say is that it is dependant on your own morals. I feel like the “right” answer is what you feel is the best option after you have considered your own emotions, the opposing side’s emotions, and the outcome of your actions in the future. Only then can you make the best possible decision as a human being.
I am very passionate about respecting people and giving credit where it is due. No matter your appearance, social status, race, gender, or sexuality, people deserve respect. I realize that I am contradicting my last paragraph when I say it is disgusting to judge someone based on this. As you said, my passion is dictating my true beliefs. After telling you how people should look on the other side of the argument, I hypocritically ignored my own logic. However, some things have no “right” side of things. For example, I could never understand why someone would be driven to murder. Unless, perhaps, it was in self-defense. But still- that’s messed up, you know? Things like this are extremely difficult to define in clear terms.
This question can definitely be viewed in many ways. I think it all ends up depending on how you were raised as a kid. If you were raised in household in which you were surrounded by positively and lots of love you are most likely going to come out to the world as an overall good person. I don’t think any person that was in that type of household would ever want to do anything bad to the world. On the other hand, if you grew up in a household where you were never loved much and were not treated fairly, you might grow up and take that out on other people because it makes you feel better about yourself. Obviously no one chooses to grow up in such household, but that’s how it was for some people and they had no choice. I think there are more good people in the world who realized that treating their child in a good manner would reflect out of them when they grew older. People who do right things do not always win in my opinion. Sometimes they do what they think is right even if they lose, which can show real character. There are not really any clear cut answers on what is right and what is wrong, but only what society says is right and wrong. What you think is right might not be right to other people. For instance, whenever I see homeless people on the streets, I always try to give them something if they are asking for it. I understand that they might have made a huge mistake in their life, one that they might regret massively, or maybe no mistake at all and were just put in that position, but I think everyone makes mistakes and I try to give them something to get back on their feet. I see this as good, while other people may just walk past them because they think they probably deserve to be there or something. I’m not saying ignoring them is wrong or bad, but I just think at least giving a dollar to someone won’t hurt you as much as it would help them. I guess I kind of got this mindset from my dad because I always saw him do it when I was little. It just seemed right.
ReplyDeleteI think people are mostly good. Simply because I believe everyone has some type of rightness in their heart, whether that’s benefiting themselves or others. What determines the “kind” of goodness they are is based on how they were brought up. Some people are taught that everyone’s out to get you so you should only do what’s good for you. And other other people are brought up to do good for other people so that you may receive some good for yourself.
ReplyDeleteNo I don’t think the person who does the right thing always wins. I believe the “right” thing they do has to be mutual--both parties agree that it’s a right thing to do. If they do win, I think the prize should be a sense of accomplishment. I mean yeah there might be other things you get like money or cool objects, but the overall prize should be a feeling of accomplishment because you know you’ve made an impact on someone’s life.
Yes, there are clear cut answers about what’s right and wrong. While growing up we’re taught about what’s right and wrong. For example, no stealing, no hurting anyone, don’t talk bad about anyone. There are many more but all these stem down to other forms of what’s right and wrong. I believe this is measured by what’s morally right and what’s right to society. For example, say my brother was outside playing and some kid is picking on him and I notice but i don’t really take note of it and just look it off. So he keeps on picking on him and nagging and I eventually confront him. This kid takes it the wrong way and we eventually start fighting. Long story short I beat the kid up and we both get in trouble. According to my morals I did the right thing by defending my brother. But to society and other people I just fought some other kid and beat him up. This is how I believe right and wrong is measured, by how much it is right morally versus how right it is to society.
I'm sorry Ahmed but I'm gonna have to go with Bunje on this one. I believe “good” is based on perception and convince. Everyone wants to believe they are a good person. No one wants to be bad. Ted Bundy, a known serial killer, claimed innocence up until the day he was executed. He swore that he was a good person over and over again, he was clearly not. Maybe that wasn't the best analogy but that's what came to mind.
ReplyDeleteBad things happen to good people. I have experienced this first hand, and it sucks. But that's the way life goes. Sometimes I feel like I never win, like everything in the universe is against me. But when I do feel like I got a win, I'm rewarded with happiness, and that's hard to find these days.
As humans we have evolutionary traits that are not socially acceptable. Naturally we are made to hunt, kill, to survive by any means necessary. We are all inherently bad. Jealousy, the mean and green giant, is a natural instinct for humans. It causes people to lash out in terrible ways. As we go through life we have to learn to be good, what's right from wrong. With all that being said, I think there should be clear cut answers of what's right and wrong, but there isn't. The lines are blurred and that's clear with the behavior of our very own sitting president, and many other people in high positions of power.
I think that most people are good but make bad decisions. It’s hard to really decide how I feel on this because when you see awful things happening in the world you start to see how bad people can really be and how not everyone’s good but I really do think people are mostly good. It’s just hard to answer this because of those tragic incidents when the person murdering someone or raping someone, you see that those people aren’t good people. This is all determined by your perspective and the way you handle all the bad things that happen to you and to other people in the world. Some people go through horrible stuff and hate the world and hate everyone and think everyone is bad while others go through the same horrible things or things like it and realize hey not everyone’s bad and I’ve came across more good people than bad and I’m grateful for that and I’m going to focus on that. Some people focus on how bad peoples are while some people are grateful and only care about the good ones which can be a good and bad thing. It’s important to be aware of the stuff that’s going on in the world and realize not everyone’s going to be your friend and not everyone’s going to want the best for you. People can be bad but they can also be good.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think the right person always wins. I'm a good example of this. I can literally do everything right, be a kind person, be positive, keep fighting through my bad days but still I’ll feel like I’m being punished by the world a lot of times and I have to tell myself it’s just life. But I realized how I can do everything right and nothing will still be okay for me but I won’t let that change my heart and who I am. It’s just how life is. If the right person “wins” they’re definitely rewarded with some kind of happiness.
There’s really no clear-cut answers for what’s right and what’s wrong in some situations there are like obviously it’s wrong to be rude to someone, obviously it’s wrong to cheat, obviously it’s wrong to lie. There are some ways though that there is no clear-cut answer for what’s right and what’s wrong is like when it comes to how some people believe that hitting a person is wrong which it is but when it’s self-defense or when it’s sticking up for someone else you know, some people don’t think it’s wrong they think it’s the right thing to do which is what I believe too. If someone touches you you should be able to defend yourself, if you see someone getting hit you should be able to defend them verbally or physically and not get in trouble obviously don’t murder them if it’s just a simple shove but you understand what I mean. For example, I have been in a situation before where I’ve seen my friend get touched by a boy inappropriately when she didn’t want that and she slapped him protecting herself and they had both got suspended and obviously the school is going to think oh okay she’s wrong for hitting him nobody should hit anyone but she’s right for defending herself. The school rules bother me a lot sometimes because I remember in middle school always being told if someone hits you don’t hit back. And it’d just confuse me because why would someone want to just sit on the ground getting hit and punched and kicked and not defend themselves because it’s “not right”? That’s how it’s hard to say that there is a clear cut line between what right and what’s wrong because it goes deeper than that.
There are many situations where it’s hard for people to all agree on what’s right and what’s wrong, we disagree everyday. In our eyes something must be so clear that it’s wrong but in somebody else’s eyes it’s so clear that it’s right. It’s all measured in your opinion and beliefs and experience.
People are...people. I can't explain it any other way. There are general similarities between us, but one will find more differences. We come from different backgrounds, have different goals, and believe in different ideas. We are all different. However, I firmly believe the main thing that connects all of us together is our humanity. I believe humanity consists of two main ideas: We will always look out for each other and the other one I remember from Transformers: Age of Extinction, "Well, what do you think being human means? That’s what we do. We make mistakes." The latter idea is another story, but the former is one I truly believe in.
ReplyDeleteI believe every person on this planet is naturally "good". We were all once children, and I believe children are the most "good" you can get. Logically speaking, children eventually become adults, which is why I believe every person on this planet is naturally "good". No parent raises their child to hurt. I've never seen it. I've never heard of it. And I hope I never have to. Frankly, I don't know what "good" is. I know what it is for me, but what is for me, may not be for everyone else. In my opinion, good means making the right choice and making other people happy. Good is being kind. Good is helping others. Good is sometimes sacrificing for others' needs. But I don't believe the best people get the best things...immediately. I'm a Hindu, and one of the main foundations of Hinduism is karma. I believe karma is real, and this can be proven by the countless hours of "Instant Karma" Compilations on YouTube. On a more serious note, I've seen people get what they deserve in real life, whether it be bad or good. Time is irrelevant to karma, but I believe it exists.
When it comes to right and wrong, the deciding factor is perspective. Sex before marriage is a sin in the eyes of a devout Christian but to an average college student on a Friday night, it is not. A common story that comes to mind is people breaking the law for the greater good. Robin Hood, Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, etc. The law is the law. But these broke it, sacrificed their lives, to help others in need. I don't think you can put a numerical value or quantity on "good" or "bad". It is what it is. You'll just know it when you see it.
From my own experience over life, I have seen both the good sides and bad sides of people as they choose. I have come to the understanding that this is clearly a choice made the person to show what version of themselves they see fit. I could nme multiple accounts of this occurring but I will stick with one example here. A friend, a good friend, from eighth grade stuck by my side, joked with me, laughed with me. All fun. This was up until the end of my freshman year when she decided to act like a two year old, who does not use their words, and blatantly ignore me. I mean, one day from talking with me and being there with me constantly, to avoiding me with no cause. I believe that factors such as jealousy and self-hatred led her to become this way. I believe this wholeheartedly and can further prove this. To this day, from two years ago I was informed that she still complains about me. Every. Single. Day. Could you imagine that? Every single day since two years or so (the last time we have spoken) she is still hung up on me. That, is the true definition of bitterness. I think people are real quick to be your friend until you have something they want, or you disagree with them. In her case I had and have a lot of things that she wants. I am so grateful that I haven’t thought of her for the past years and she has dedicated all of her time thinking of me. I believe that in the end, it may not be instant, and you may feel completely hopeless and lost. But, the people who are doing the right thing, focusing on themselves, directing their own path and not concerned with pettiness and jealousy will win. I have dedicated these past two years to my myself better in anyway I can to prove her, and the world wrong. Can she say the same? She has spent all of her time staring at me to bother fixing herself. It is measured in your will power. I could easily spread rumors such as said person, but why waste my time on that when I can just show her how far I have come. This applies to near every situation in life, I guarantee. There will always be someone under you, who feels that they are better or want what you have. People become contentious the mot when you have something they want, it is a fact. It doesn’t matter if you’re better looking, have a higher salary, have a purse that was on sale for one day. Humanity is stupid in the competitive aspect, but all anyone strives to do is be better. No matter the subject or situation. It is as if it is a personal defeat when we fail at this. People can’t stand being wrong and not getting their way.
ReplyDeleteI think that most people are good, because I always give everyone the benefit of the doubt until they prove to me that I can’t trust them. Well at least in school I do that. I do think that everyone has their flaws and have just made bad choices. To some people they’re doing the right thing. It’s just what they believe in. I’m not sure what determines if you’re bad or good, law? I think it just comes back to what you personally believe in and what your morals are.No, I don’t think that just because you do the right thing you will always win. Although most people are good, there's also bad in the world because not everything is always sunshine and rainbows and that's just facts. People will cheat and tear you down, just to be at the top. Those are the people who are just angry at life, and maybe they do have a good reason. The prize we get for being a decent human being should be just self love. Knowing that YOU are doing what YOU believe is right. I don’t think there are clear cut answers to what's good or right. Like I said earlier I think it just comes down to your morals and believes. You can’t force someone what to believe and what not to. It just doesn’t work that way.
ReplyDeleteI believe the world is mostly bad. This is determined by my own life expirience and mental state. I do not believe that doing the right thing will always result in the right-doer coming out on top, Doing whats right wont always be the easiest thing to do, nor will the right thing to do be clear all the time. Doing the right thing will always result in a clear conscience. So in a sense if you do the right thing, it could be considered as a win, even if you didnt achieve the primary goal. Most of the time the right choice is based on perspective. What each side values and moralizes. The way majority of the human race acts and what they believe determines the “side” they are on. Right-doers might not always achieve the goal as effective as if they had done the wrong thing and taken the easy path. Whats wrong will most of the time be the easier choice. However, they do gain other, non-tangible things. The trust of others potentially, self discipline, good credit of their reputation, etc.
ReplyDeleteThere are almost never clear cut answers abouit right and wrong. Most of the time the right choice is based on perspective. What each side values and moralizes. There is no way to measure whats right and wrong in the eyes of general humanity. It’s situational. Situations change. Good and evil are based on morals and beliefs and everyone has their own personal beliefs. The crusades. Christians invaded the middle-east and attempted to take “their” holy land back. They killed pillaged and plundered, raped men, women ,and children. The Christians were in the wrong, right? Not to them. They were doing what they thought god wanted them to do. Beating your children, and wife. narcissistic patriarch heads of families justify this behavior with biblical scripture. "Spare the rod spoil the child" "Wives give thy bodies to thy husbands" This goes to show even Satan can use scripture for his benefit. My childhood was overwhelmed with anxiety, ad fear of when my father was going to blow up next, and trying to make sure it wasn't on my sisters. I thought my father was undoubtedly in the wrong for this behavior, however, "It's biblical, it can't be wrong." there is no right and wrong answers to life. Only in math and science.