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Good People
lobster
Crusty Veteran
In all cultures and in all religions, there are good people of high repute, wisdom and example.
So that is where we set our markers. We do not need to 'understand' or tolerate the impeded directions and warped viewpoints. Nobody human is entirely clear of their lesser tendencies. That is how we start. Sorting useful, skilful, helpful teaching and teachers and qualities in our being.
In a sense we are all the centre of our universe. Also we are responsible for others well being.
It is up to us too make good of what we know and share. We are good people, right?
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Comments
I'm reminded of this...
“With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil - that takes religion.”
~Steven Weinberg~
Personally, I don't really try to meet a standard of being a "good person". What that is exactly and how it gets defined tends to shift and change with the times and the cultural context. Its also part of the comparing mind Buddhism tries to shift us away from. I think its better to focus on the trainings and leave goodness or badness to others.
Well I do compare myself to my former and future and present. It is a question of depth. Ideally in the present momentousness we are incomparable. Just being.
However we may drift with the tides, or become washed up on the far shore.
Wash up … [lobster drifts on]
The trouble is almost everyone thinks of themselves as essentially "good" people.
We have the potential to work towards what is beneficial or harmful in every moment. We are people. We make mistakes.
I like to remind myself that without the subjective experience to gauge what could be considered "good" and/or "bad" everything would just kind of work together. Our true nature then would be a cooperative one.
When all is said and done, I think there's is a good that can have no opposite in bad and that good is what we are in the absolute sense.
I have a simple standard of goodness, and that is the golden rule, do not do onto others what you would not want done onto yourself. It points to empathy, to the idea of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes before you judge them. Empathic people are good, those who have hardened their hearts can commit bad acts.
Perfect @David
🙏🏽
Well said. 💗
Good, And now back to training those (mainly me) who do not understand division and minus …
I think that needs some refinement. Its a good place to start, but the platinum rule is better "Do unto others what they would want done to them". Its like I imagine much of the cat calling or dick pics that women get sent to them come from men who genuinely would like it if women did that to them.
And then Paul Bloom makes a decent case in Against Empathy, that in order to truly be ethical we need to be more deliberate and thoughtful. That having empathy can also cause us to act in negative ways. Anyway, people mean different things by empathy so maybe what you mean isn't the same thing as Bloom. I'm just making a point that I think its more complex and can use some unpacking.
The platinum rule needs further refinement, as you point out, whereas the golden rule does not.
It seems to me that Bloom is more out to make a name for himself than contribute something sensible. Most moral human decisions are not about thousands of people, thats where he as a psychology professor goes wrong. If you can truly live with your heart and place yourself in other human beings shoes, there is nothing wrong with empathy.