Every human asks this question at least once in their life. Here is the answer.
For the purpose of this post, ‘Good’ is defined as “Able to make and act on correct moral choices. When we say that someone is ‘good’ it means that they have some mixture of humility, charity, gratitude, temperance, patience, and diligence. But In a world where “Nice guys finish last and the Seven Deadly Sins (Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Laziness) are a lot more fun, why bother being good?
Despite what we hear frequently, there is still plenty of goodness in the world. Here is a short list of reasons why people are good, and read to the end for why YOU should be as well.
God (Deity/Deities of your choice)
An all-knowing, all-powerful being who tells you to be good. This being also has the ability to reward or punish after you die and as a bonus, He/She/They do so for all eternity.
The stories around such beings have more plot holes than a Bollywood B-grade movie but that’s no reason to stop believing.
Whether people fear going to Hell as punishment or hope to gain a reward in Heaven, the outcome should still be the same: good behaviour.
Self-Preservation
If we prove ourselves to be good to other people, we hope others will be good to us.
Humans are social animals who do poorly if forced to live on their own. All civilization is based on increasing levels of cooperation between larger and larger groups of humans.
Reciprocal Altruism is a fancy way of saying, “One hand washes the other”. If this belief is further expanded and explained, you arrive at another reason to be good:
Moral Pragmatism
Chris Shaffer of Oklahoma ( 63rd issue of Philosophy Now) explained it best. “If everyone valued others’ welfare as much as they valued their own, then everyone would share the greatest total benefit.”
All of us being good creates wonderful outcomes for all of us. I’ve visited a country that has taken this idea to heart.
Societal Expectations
Our first encounter as humans with the concept of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ behaviour is from our parents. When we are ‘bad’ there is punishment and when we are ‘good’ there is the reward of parental approval. This pattern repeats from kindergarten to university and beyond.
Our need to belong causes us to seek the approval of those around us and conform to their standard of ‘good’.
Character
By any or all of the above-mentioned, a person may fully internalize good behaviour until it becomes a part of their identity. This is an exalted state and one rarely achieved. We would all like to think we have achieved this, but resisting the stab of envy, the quick flame of lust, or the sweetness of schadenfreude is hard work.
A lucky few might be born with a robust and good character, but most of us will have to work on it.
Health Benefits
Surprise! Doing good to others is good for us. The act of volunteering improves physical and mental health while increasing longevity and happiness. As long as you don’t overdo it and suffer compassion fatigue, the best way to help yourself is to help your fellow man.
Conclusion
As was said at the start, doing bad is way more fun but only in the short term. Being good is always a work in progress, but work that leads to a longer, happier life.
Exactly how to work on being ‘good’ is what this series is about. All the best until next time.
Jeremy,
You have several interesting observations in your post, and you have forced me to make comment.
I fully agree with you regarding “volunteering” and its benefits to both parties, the volunteer and the organization they volunteer for.
There have been many groups and organizations that I have volunteered for over some 60 years, and I can truly say that doing things for others gives one a satisfied feeling inside. Not only that, the organization you helped also benefits.
Happiness is a state of being, and it only truly becomes real when you not only know yourself but are also confident and satisfied in who that person is.
The two truly magic words in all this is “respect” and “responsibility”.
– Self-respect on one hand, and respect for others on the other.
– Taking responsible actions on one hand and taking responsibility for those actions on the other.
Volunteering fosters both of the above.
All the best, Phil
Hello Phil:
You’re thinking at a much deeper level than I was when I wrote the post on volunteering but your point is valid. There are several nuances in getting older that I’d like to write about but first I’ll finish this series and then see where the muse takes me.
All the best, Jeremy.