Are you a good person?

[Jakebert]

The thread about stealing got me thinking a bit. Most of us here have a slightly crooked sense of humor, a looser sense of what's okay to say and what isn't, and a much more cynical outlook on just about every fact of life.

That said, do you think you're a good person? I'd say that I'm a fairly decent person. Sure, I have a tendancy to say incredibly mean, sarcastic things to people, or to sometimes be a little too honest with people I don't like, even those with good intentions. But overall I'd say my moral compass is pretty well defined. I don't lie (I used to lie to my parents, but now there is no need), I don't steal, and only cheat on tests occasionally, but it's not a habit.

How do you feel about your moral compass?

[coke_a_holic]

I like to think that I'm a good person. I generally am as nice as possible to people, whether I like them or not. There are people I hate who don't even know that I detest them. I'm against cheating, I don't do drugs, and I try to help people when they ask for help, generally.

But, according to my sister, I'm selfish. According to my mother, I'm arrogant. I honestly have no idea; my perception of myself is obviously biased.

[T-6005]

According to myself, I'm amazing.

According to everyone else, I'm arrogant. And my mother thinks I'm selfish.

But I'm still amazing.

[ninthlayer]

I hear that I'm adorable.

























from RickyCrack

[Andy]

I pride myself on being a good person. I'm polite to everyone, well-mannered, respectful and generous. I can't stand rude, ill-mannered people so I strive to be as nice as possible. I'm also constantly aware of how other people view me, so as a means of maintaining a good image, I will go out of my way to be nice to someone and if that means spending ages holding a door open for about a dozen people then so be it.

Anyway, in those respects, I'm a good person. Unfortunately, those good points are also marred by my cynicism, sarcasm and laziness. I also have a really bad habit of lying and swearing; both in worryingly extreme quantities.

[Jakebert]

...and from me, babai.

[MaF]

Nope.
I know that it's like self-flagellation and i hate it, but i think that i know all my bad sides and all good ones. And after that i think that i'm so selfish about myself... sometimes i got obsessive minds bout that i did something wrong... and can't get my head out of it. In one place i want to do silly things and to try my best and from others i want to run out as fast as posible or fell in deep sleap that noones can evokes me ...

Sometimes i feel that i'm gonna smash my head with hammer :mad:
And sometimes i want to smash someone's head :mad:

It's typicaly for melancholics.

[ninthlayer]

...and from me, babai.
<3 <3 <3

[EMehl6]

People have told me on numerous occasions that I am too nice. That, and usually when my friends have stupid ideas, I end up being the voice of reason. They usually don't listen to me, but it usually ends in disaster for them. I also have, morally speaking, very high standards for myself. So yeah, I think I'm a pretty good person.

[HeadAroundU]

Sometimes i feel that i'm gonna smash my head with hammer :mad:
And sometimes i want to smash someone's head :mad:
Oh noez, another Hammerhead lyrics.

I'm a good person.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/HeadAroundU/hauinko.jpg

[Izie]

My automatic response to this question is "Hell, no."

Then again, I suppose it depends on what you consider "good". I'm polite and well-mannered, especially with people I don't know very well. Work/school-wise, I get the job done, in time and properly, I'm responsible, dependable and professional.

However, I'm easily bored and annoyed and I have a hell of a temper. I'm not very good at hiding that. To be honest I don't even try, especially with people who I know fairly well. Some get angry, some get used to it. *shrug*

If we're talking about things I think about, I'm gonna burn in hell. But, like Thi, I'm still pretty damn fine with myself. Har.

[ilovellamas]

This reminds me of when the bible thumpers were on campus and bribed students into stopping cause they were giving out money for answering simple trivia questions... the $20 question was "are you a good person?" Nobody was able to "pass" this question, basically, because apparently only Jesus is a good person. H8 people who pull that shit.

People have told me on numerous occasions that I am too nice. That, and usually when my friends have stupid ideas, I end up being the voice of reason. They usually don't listen to me, but it usually ends in disaster for them. I also have, morally speaking, very high standards for myself.

This is pretty much accurate for myself. I also love helping people and couldn't have a career ever that wasn't something to help others, which is why I love teaching so much. Basically, I don't know if I consider myself a good person, but I have every intention in life of being one.

[EMehl6]

This reminds me of when the bible thumpers were on campus and bribed students into stopping cause they were giving out money for answering simple trivia questions... the $20 question was "are you a good person?" Nobody was able to "pass" this question, basically, because apparently only Jesus is a good person. H8 people who pull that shit.

Yeah, I hate that shit, too. Those people, in my opinion, aren't good people lol. They all try to make you feel your a horrible person, which, is not what God wants, at least how I see it. I mean, I go to church pretty much every Sunday, and the way my priests talk and explain things is, if you strive to be a good person, and realize and are sorry for your mistakes, that's all God asks, and you are in essence, a good person. Sorry to get all "religious on your asses" there lol. I just felt compelled.

This is pretty much accurate for myself. I also love helping people and couldn't have a career ever that wasn't something to help others, which is why I love teaching so much. Basically, I don't know if I consider myself a good person, but I have every intention in life of being one.

Yeah, I didn't add the helping people part, but I enjoy that too. I could right a paper on the subject.

[Amiralanal]

The thread about stealing got me thinking a bit. Most of us here have a slightly crooked sense of humor, a looser sense of what's okay to say and what isn't, and a much more cynical outlook on just about every fact of life.

That said, do you think you're a good person? I'd say that I'm a fairly decent person. Sure, I have a tendancy to say incredibly mean, sarcastic things to people, or to sometimes be a little too honest with people I don't like, even those with good intentions. But overall I'd say my moral compass is pretty well defined. I don't lie (I used to lie to my parents, but now there is no need), I don't steal, and only cheat on tests occasionally, but it's not a habit.

How do you feel about your moral compass?

Ive had it with all the fucking pointless threads about worthless shit. Fuck you! You just want some fucking dialogue. You use this forum even though you dont like the offspring. You are all a bunch of fucking asshoels. Thats why you didnt want to be in the facebook offspring bbs group. Fuck all you assholes who are tryingto be someone

[EMehl6]

Ive had it with all the fucking pointless threads about worthless shit. Fuck you! You just want some fucking dialogue. You use this forum even though you dont like the offspring. You are all a bunch of fucking asshoels. Thats why you didnt want to be in the facebook offspring bbs group. Fuck all you assholes who are tryingto be someone

Uh, fuck you first of all. I love the Offspring, I just like talking about things other than the Offspring as well. The reason there are other forums on here is so we can do that. You should definately try it sometime.

[Tired_Of_You]

aw, the bad person of the day.

Then again, I suppose it depends on what you consider "good". I'm polite and well-mannered, especially with people I don't know very well. Work/school-wise, I get the job done, in time and properly, I'm responsible, dependable and professional. Pretty much the same for me here.

I obviously also have my bad sides : I reject people's opinions, beliefs, actions or whatever if I think they are not rational. I do drugs sometimes, but not what is considered to be hard drugs. Sometimes I cheat on tests. I'm lazy, kinda sarcastic and honest, but I think it should be in the "good person" category. It's just that some people must hate that.

With the people who are close to me, I'm a really nice person and I'll try to help them as much as I can if something bad happens to them. I think that overall I'm a good person.

[Amiralanal]

Uh, fuck you first of all. I love the Offspring, I just like talking about things other than the Offspring as well. The reason there are other forums on here is so we can do that. You should definately try it sometime.

Im not talking to you. i am talking to the arrogant assholes who think they run this forum.

[EMehl6]

Im not talking to you. i am talking to the arrogant assholes who think they run this forum.

Oh, my bad.

But, where does it say in the forum rules that you have to be an Offspring fan? I mean, they're not hurting anyone.

[Amiralanal]

Oh, my bad.

But, where does it say in the forum rules that you have to be an Offspring fan? I mean, they're not hurting anyone.

They are fucking bullies. Offspring fans or not. They have more posts than anyone, yet they are ashamed of being members here.

[JohnnyNemesis]

I like to think that I'm generally a decent person, but I can't even answer the question because I don't think I'm in a position to evaluate whether I am or not. No one should be doing that for themselves, I think.

My biggest problem is that I try to be way too nice to people and eventually end up being a total dick in the process. For example, the thing I can never ever ever ever ever do to someone's face is say some shit that I KNOW will hurt their feelings or make them crumble or whatever. So I try to avoid saying that stuff and just rephrase things or hide what I'm feeling 'cause I know it'll hurt 'em, but eventually, of course, that shit comes out and it ends up being much worse than if I were up front in the first place.

This happens most often when it comes to relationships. But I'm getting better at being straightforward. Back when I wasn't, however, I'd say I was being a shitty person.

[Jakebert]

I'd say I have the opposite of that problem, at least in certain situations.

Let's say there's someone that wants to be friends with me, but I really can't stand them. They're a good person, but annoying. Instead of politely putting up with them occasionally, I have a habit of blatently acting like an ass towards them to get them to stop talking to me. Not nice of me, and I'm getting better, but still not a good habit.

[All About Eve]

I'm actually too "nice" for my own good, people tell me. I've had a psychologist, my mother, and other people tell me I shouldn't do so much for people because it ends up hurting me because I never get anything out of it.

But I can honestly say that I believe I'm a good person (so f u Ricky). I'm as nice as I can be, even to people who don't deserve it. I hate hate hate cheating (even though I don't really need to), I don't do drugs, or drink, or any of that stuff. Not that that's a direct label on if your morals are good or not. I volunteer, I go out of my way for other people, etc etc etc.

kinda sarcastic and honest, but I think it should be in the "good person" category. It's just that some people must hate that.
I was about to say that doesn't sound like you, when I saw this:
With the people who are close to me, I'm a really nice person and I'll try to help them as much as I can if something bad happens to them. I think that overall I'm a good person.
That sounds more like you.

[JohnnyNemesis]

I'm actually too "nice" for my own good, people tell me. I've had a psychologist, my mother, and other people tell me I shouldn't do so much for people because it ends up hurting me because I never get anything out of it.

Yeah, if you replace "my mother" with "everyone", this is my life.

[0r4ng3]

I don't consider myself good or bad. But I'm not really neutral, either. I'm...nothing.



Woah, emo headache. Remind me to never do that again.

[wheelchairman]

No question in my mind, I think I'm a good person, even when I do bad things. Even when I've done things I actually regretted I still think I'm a good person. I don't even have to try.

Tizz once gave me a teddy bear. I named him rape-bear and use him to rape her stuffed animals. It really upsets her.

I would've taken a picture, but my camera has no batteries. Maybe later.

[All About Eve]

Yeah, if you replace "my mother" with "everyone", this is my life.
I said "And other people" to cover the everyone part.

My mother actually says I'm arrogant and too nice at the same time. My sister says I'm selfish. blah blah.

[Wolfbutter]

I used to be way too nice; I would buy people things for no reason, thinking that they would like me. Then they started taking advantage of me, and I knew that I needed to stop doing things for other people and start appreciating myself more as a person. I did that, and I feel much better now. However, there are always people that you don't like, but talk to you anyway. You know, those weird people that seem to talking a mindless drone of something you don't care about, like what happened in that show you didn't see or care about, or what they did yesterday with firecrackers and a frog, or some other dumb shit like that that just seems to fade in the backround, but you don't want to hurt their feelings so you just stand there and listen, all the while nodding your head and saying "Yeah" after every fucking sentence. You just want to tell those people to go away, but you can't.

[ilovellamas]

No question in my mind, I think I'm a good person, even when I do bad things. Even when I've done things I actually regretted I still think I'm a good person. I don't even have to try.

Tizz once gave me a teddy bear. I named him rape-bear and use him to rape her stuffed animals. It really upsets her.

I would've taken a picture, but my camera has no batteries. Maybe later.

Thank you so much for this.

I love how almost everyone here thinks they're "too nice". haha. Probably means we're all assholes trying to compensate. :P

edit: buying things for people so that they'll like you isn't considered being too nice... not at all...

[EMehl6]

Anyone have problems with women because you're "too nice"? That's my main concern as far as the too nice thing goes.

[wheelchairman]

Do women actually say you're "too nice". I mean I would've expected that when I was like 14 or something. But it never happened. I guess you just come off as being desperate.

I am more intrigued by everyone saying they are trying to be good. Is that humility? A remnant of christian morality? Or are you trying to be good but you just fuck things up and do bad things. Does one bad action null all good ones? Is goodness defined by actions or by intentions? Or by the results it has on other people?

[JohnnyNemesis]

Probably means we're all assholes trying to compensate. :P

Or just really in-tuned to how people tend to take advantage of "nice" personalities.

[ilovellamas]

Uh oh ricky's getting defensive!

(PS: I was kidding)

(PS2: I am also one of those people)

[TBD]

I just got the lowest score in my entire class on my first law school assignment. I am angry. I am not a good person.

[JohnnyNemesis]

Uh oh ricky's getting defensive!

Nope! I just didn't know you were kidding, though, so I treated it as if it were a normal part of the discussion. I NEED TO LRN2READ AMIRITE?

EDIT: ...wait, I just realized something.

...wait.

*blinks twice*

DID BRIANNA JUST CALL SOMEONE DEFENSIVE?!?!?!?!

!!!!!!!!!

This is like OJ Simpson looking for "the real killers"

EDIT Part 2: Calm down llamas + everyone, I'm jk!

EDIT Part 3: Well, half-jk.

EDIT Part 4: I mean, I like her.

[ilovellamas]

I'm not coming to NYC. :( :( :(

[JohnnyNemesis]

But I love you. :(

And that makes me a good person <3

[wheelchairman]

Stop fagging up this thread.

Or alternatively, go get pierced fags.

I think people who believe they are "too nice" suffer from low self-esteem (not all of them naturally) and this would have many consequences with how they interact others. Did I just point out the obvious?

oh shit i pathetic again :(

[EMehl6]

Do women actually say you're "too nice". I mean I would've expected that when I was like 14 or something. But it never happened. I guess you just come off as being desperate.

Yes, they actually tell me that. And coming off as being desperate wouldn't surprise me. I have a pretty low self esteem. It's really not good.

Edit: I posted this before you made the low self esteem-too nice comparison. Wow. I think I'm the pathetic one.

[wheelchairman]

No, I can understand that. Most guys have a period like that. I couldn't give advice. What helped me was that I made myself stubborn. For every action I made, I made sure I had a justification that satisfied me. So if my actions were questioned I would have a response that people could either accept or not, but would allow me peace of mind.

[EMehl6]

Alright. Thanks.

[JohnnyNemesis]

Did I just point out the obvious?

Yes.

oh shit i pathetic again :(

<3

[nieh]

I think it's safe to say that not only am I a good person, but I'm the BEST person.

[HeadAroundU]

Tizz once gave me a teddy bear. I named him rape-bear and use him to rape her stuffed animals. It really upsets her.
I had such a good laugh.
Did I just point out the obvious?
Yes, but it was needed for the BBS kids.

[PilZ-E]

A while about in my English class we had a discussion about the definition of moral. I seen it as values you set for your self based on your surroundings and society.

Based on my own morals I think I'm a good person. I don't lie without good cause. If lying is going to keep me out of prison then I'm going to lie but I don't make shit up to my parents. I have stolen and I probably will continue to steal. like many stated in the thread I steal from corporations and I'm willing to accept the punishment if I get caught. I won't however steal from a person. I will watch a 1v1 fight and stop it if it gets out of control but until then, meh. But if someone is getting jumped I will do everything in my power to stop it. I talk shit about people all time but it's mostly always jokingly. I sometimes wonder if it truly bothers them and feel bad about it. As far as cheating is concerned I do it on test and stuff but I can't bring my self to secretly cheating in a game or something.

[Rag Doll]

I'm not really sure. I mean, I certainly can be. I'm generally very nice to people I don't know. The exceptions are things like...they're rude to me first, or it's a situation at work where I sort of *have* to be a bitch to get someone to listen to me. If I know you and like you, I'll basically do anything for you. But if I don't like someone....wow. I can be terrible. I have a habit of saying some pretty terrible things about people to other people I'm close to (one of my friends and I have determined we're going to hell). And I have awful road rage, though I'm not sure that really makes me a "bad" person. I don't lie, unless it's to not hurt someone...or little white lies like "i'm *cough* sick, i can't come in..." ;p. I don't cheat on tests or on people. But I'm not really sure any of this really makes me "good" or "bad".

[JohnnyNemesis]

On that "being too nice" vs. "being an asshole" topic that AAE, Jakebert, and I talked about...I often find myself being way too nice because I can't bear to hurt anyone's feelings (I'm a bitch)...but every now and then, if there's an opportunity for the perfect joke or stab or revenge at someone, I find it irresistible.

Example: this one kid I know is a friend of mine, but tends to be a real asshole to people all the time to cover up his own insecurities. I know this about him, so I usually let him slide because I've seen him crumble on some serious levels at the slightest of jabs. Anyway, he was really tearing some girl apart at a pary for no fucking reason, to the point where people kept telling him to cool it because she (and a few other people) was getting upset. Shortly after he cools it, we shift the discussion to baseball and he mentions what a huge BoSox fan he is because he's from right outside of Boston. I say "Really? A raging asshole from Boston? Really? Who'da thunk it?" I felt really bad about it (oh shit i pathetic).

[Tizzalicious]

I save everyone out of the hands of rape-bear, I guess that says enough.

[Mota Boy]

I've been told that I'm too nice for my own good. I've been told that I'm a dick. I've been told "I thought you were nice, but you're an asshole." I've been told "Hey, you're actually pretty nice!"

Malcolm Gladwell made in an interesting point in "Blink" - we often tend to oversimplify things. People are "good" or "bad" people. If a "good" person does something that seems bad, they must just be having a bad day. If a "bad" person does something nice, they must just be being manipulative.

Actually, we all have different levers that react to different amounts of pressure and will do good or bad things depending on the situation. In "Blink", Gladwell cited a study where, if you give kids a test and tell them to correct it themselves (after giving them a test without giving them the answers, so you can see how much the self-corrected scores, on the whole, deviate), you come up with interesting results after repeated testing. Some kids will cheat on math but not on English. Some will cheat on Mondays but not on Fridays. Some will cheat at home but not at school. Or vice versa.

And people are fabulously good at justifying immoral behavior. We're class acts at playing the victim in any situation. Life is unfair, society has wronged me, I'm making things right. Not saying I'm immune to any of these things, by the way, just saying that I'm aware of them.

I consider myself, on the whole, to be a moral person. I hold the door for old ladies, I point out if the shopkeeper has given me too much change, even when I need the money, I'll actually show up to help friends out with major projects, even if not asked specifically (like "Hey, could someone help me move?"). I try to eat a couple vegetarian meals a week for sustainability purposes (though I love cruising aimlessly in my car). I pick up others' trash. I tip well. In general, I try to strike a balance between my own selfish desires and the happiness of others/betterment of society. And yet, I disobey laws I don't like and rules I find irrational. I have no concept of "trespassing" (barring actually entering a domicile). I "borrow" public property. I speed, I drive drunk*, but I make sure not to talk on my cell phone. I recreationally abuse substances, both legal and illegal. I have taken advantage of a friend (though later apologized/regretted it/vowed never to do it again). If I think someone's an asshole, I'll personally deliver karma.

I'm always going to think that I'm a good person, and, more importantly, I actively strive to be a good person, often reassessing my actions and morals so that they overlap perfectly. But I get mixed reviews.

*I feel that I should, somewhat, defend myself here: by "drunk driving" I mean the legal definition of "drunk", which is the college definition of "buzzed". I've actually had to take a field sobriety test before and had the officer stop it halfway through to let me off with a warning. Also, I make sure to obey all traffic laws that I normally disregard while sober (the field sobriety test was the result of a hidden-construction zone speed trap). If I plan on actually getting drunk, I make sure I have a ride, and if I'm driving, I make sure not to get drunk.

But still.

[mrconeman]

No question in my mind, I think I'm a good person, even when I do bad things. Even when I've done things I actually regretted I still think I'm a good person. I don't even have to try.

Tizz once gave me a teddy bear. I named him rape-bear and use him to rape her stuffed animals. It really upsets her.

I would've taken a picture, but my camera has no batteries. Maybe later.

Firstly, you're a fucking hero.

For me, yeah, I do generally think I'm a nice and decent person, I'm pretty much as nice as I can be to new people, I make a concious effort to not really be an asshole about anything unless there's a really good reason for it. I dunno, I'm told I'm likeable.

But don't worry it's balanced out with my tendency to curse way more than the average Irish stereotype, I'm sarcastic as hell too, sometimes inappropriately.

[killer_queen]

Well, people who know me think I'm a really good person when I'm actually not.

The thing I really care about is human life, not people's emotions. When people loose their lives because of wars or hunger or whatever I feel bad. I mean, really bad. I feel the pain inside of me. And I mostly feel angry 'cause I can't do anything about it. But you know, caring doesn't make you a good person. When it comes to people who are close to me, family, friends, I can be really rude and hurtful. I'm pretty much like Iza. And I don't mind about breaking their hearts and when my heart gets broken I always try to take revenge. Oh, and I gossip a lot.

But I'm not pure evil. I love animals and I always try to feed and give shelter for the ones that live on the streets. I never hurt them. That makes me kind of a good person, doesn't it?

[T-6005]

Honestly, I can't see the correlation between tipping well and being a good person.

http://news.sawf.org/Gossip/43748.aspx

Who knows. Maybe he is a good person.

[XYlophonetreeZ]

Thus far, the posts in this thread have made virtually no distinction between being a genuinely good person and being a do-gooder. OK, you do a lot of good deeds and help people out. Fine. But are you a conceited dick about it? Do you let people know about all the awesome things you do whenever you get an opening? I'm not accusing anyone of doing this, but I know way too many people like that and fucking hate it and think it's important to make that distinction. I guess it comes down to what postmodernist douches always say: true altruism does not exist. I don't quite believe that. But goddamnit, too many people out there are making it look like the truth with their ulterior motives, performing pseudo-generous actions to better their reputations and their power over others.

It's FINE to do something nice because it makes you feel good. 80% of the time when I hear someone say, "They're just volunteering/donating money/helping a drunk person get back to their room to feel GOOD about themselves," I have a strong urge to punch them square in the face. The reason why I hate the argument against true altruism is because everything we do in our fucking lives is for the purpose of making us feel good. So why not make someone else's life a little better while achieving the same end? I'm all for that, and I try to do nice things like that whenever I can, but still not enough. My conclusive point, I guess, is that cool-headedness is just as important as altruism. Do good deeds. Do. Don't let that shit go to your head. It has repercussions on the people around you, probably people you care about.

[Mota Boy]

Honestly, I can't see the correlation between tipping well and being a good person.Perhaps it comes from working in the restaurant industry. There it's not just a good quality, it's practically the only barometer.

[Whiplash]

I'll let other people be the judge about that.

[wheelchairman]

I pretty much agree with Mota Boy. Except I hold the door for everyone and not just old ladies, because unlike Mota Boy I'm not a conceited asshole.

[Punk-Freak]

I'm not a good person, but some people like me.
I don't smile to people, I don't hold the door... and so on.
Usually I don't tell people what I think of them and if I did, I'm pretty sure that they would beat me up, cause I get sick 'n tired of listening to most people after a few minutes.

Or maybe it's just because I'm not really a people person...

[wheelchairman]

Why wouldn't you hold the door? That's just normal over here.

Usually if I want to do a good deed I'll carry an old lady's bag (if she lives in my building). (I only mentioned this to see how long it will take to piss off Xylo.)

[Wolfbutter]

I thought people only held doors open for seniors or attractive women. The thought of holding the door open for everyone is preposterus to me.

[wheelchairman]

I'm not saying like at a train station or something (unless there are old people), but if it's only one person or two, I would say it's rude not to.

[All About Eve]

I can't bear to hurt anyone's feelings (I'm a bitch)...but every now and then, if there's an opportunity for the perfect joke or stab or revenge at someone, I find it irresistible.

Same here.

o shit i a beaner.

[Nina]

I'm actually not sure.

As often mentioned in this topic I too have heard that I am "too nice". but unlike some other people here this often means for me that people think I'm fake. I've heard it so often that I cant count all times on anymore. Last time was, like, three days ago. Which is pretty annoying and hurtful.

I get upset when people get hurt. Generally. Like, you know when people accidentally hurt themselves and everyone laughs? I'm one of those who doesnt laugh. I'm always worried that the person might have gotten hurt badly but just tries to act like it wasnt a big deal. This doesnt make me a bad or good person but I felt like mentioning it. :/

What makes a good person be good and a bad one bad? I have no idea. Which is why I have no idea whether I'm a good person or not.

[F@ BANKZ]

I'm told so, but everybody has their vices.

[ruroken]

I tend to think more toward neither. I like to believing I'm still learning along the way.
Why wouldn't you hold the door? That's just normal over here.

Yeah. Here too. Common courtesy.

[JoY]

my automatic response was almost "Bella be good", but I don't know. I can be selfish, very selfish. in my teenage days I did shoplift a little here & there. there certainly have been times I cheated a test. there even have been times I cheated. but I'm polite, very polite. & I'm nice. I'm well-manared, respectful, caring, supporting. I don't know. what the fuck is "good" anyway? especially these days.

[HeadAroundU]

I'm actually not sure.

What makes a good person be good and a bad one bad? I have no idea. Which is why I have no idea whether I'm a good person or not.
You are a good person.
I don't know. what the fuck is "good" anyway? especially these days.
You are a good person.

My intuition tells me. :)

[Betty]

I've read this little saying recently... man... it would be much smoother if I could remember how it goes properly... but it's about how you can tell if you have a true friend if they help you move.

I think you can really learn a lot about a person when they're put in certain situations. Like when you ask them if they can help you move on the weekend.

I have a friend, and he acts like the nicest guy, when in reality I know deep down that he's an asshole. We were playing volleyball one day and a friend on our team fell and dislocated his shoulder and had to go to the hospital. My other "asshole" friend, the only person there who had a car, would not even give him a ride to the hospital. He made excuses, and pretended that he wanted to, but I knew that he just wanted to stay and finish the game and not have to take that hour or whatever to drive him. I was shocked at how he handled the situation. I think my friend ended up having to take an ambulance to the hospital, which is ridiculous since he only had a dislocated shoulder.

And I know lots of people who may seem like assholes on the outside, but they would always help people out if they needed it.

I'm a good person. I'm not particularly altruistic. I can be quite selfish (in certain ways - but very giving in others). And I'm really competitive. But I have no doubt that I'm good.

[Sin Studly]

I am the monster that breathing men would kill.

[TBD]

I once clicked a link that would donate a can of food to someone somewhere.

[JohnnyNemesis]

Like when you ask them if they can help you move on the weekend.

The fact that this is such a common measure of friendship bugs me a bit personally, but only because I have a bad back and I CAN'T do shit like help people move. As it is, I can't move my own stuff unless I have some assistance. So, whenever I'm asked for help moving or anything like that, I hope people understand my explanation and don't think I'm full of shit. And when I explain my bad back and what might happen if I'm not careful, I'm always watching their faces to see if they're scanning mine for bullshit.

I have a friend, and he acts like the nicest guy, when in reality I know deep down that he's an asshole. We were playing volleyball one day and a friend on our team fell and dislocated his shoulder and had to go to the hospital. My other "asshole" friend, the only person there who had a car, would not even give him a ride to the hospital. He made excuses, and pretended that he wanted to, but I knew that he just wanted to stay and finish the game and not have to take that hour or whatever to drive him. I was shocked at how he handled the situation. I think my friend ended up having to take an ambulance to the hospital, which is ridiculous since he only had a dislocated shoulder.

This is completely assholish. I don't think it says anything about whether the dude is a good person or not, but this is most definitely some assholish behavior.

[Punk-Freak]

Why wouldn't you hold the door? That's just normal over here.


I don't consider it a big deal, so I just walk around thinking of all kinds of pointless things and forget most people around me.

[Betty]

Ahhh... a convenient "bad back" eh? I see... It's actually an example that hits home with me, cause even my ex boyfriend was reluctant to help me move one evening. He claimed I shouldn't "expect" him to help me. I was like "But you're my best friend! And my boyfriend!" (And I am totally not the type of person who is demanding of their significant other). I only have the nerve to "expect" people to do things when I would do the exact same thing, no questions asked, if the situation were reversed, and therefore I can't even comprehend how they could consider not doing it. Same thing with giving a ride to an injured friend (or person that you happen to be around, even).

How does it not say anything about him being good? Fine. Good is completely relative. Everybody in the whole world is good anyway. Except for the 1 % or less who have some sort of pathological disorder. And then, if it's a disorder, can we even say they're bad people? What would tell you whether somebody was "good"? That is the type of occasion that I would really look at, just based on my perception of good. This guy has done tons of things like that... and I guess they ultimately boil down to laziness/selfishness. So fine, yeah, he's not "bad," he's just sort of an asshole deep down. And it's worse, cause he ACTS so nice. We used to play v-ball across town. It was about 75 min. for me by bus/walking to get home. He offered me a ride home a few times afterwards, which was a little bit out of his way for him, but then he stopped offering and claimed he "forgot" (he was roommates with my boyfriend who would ask) which was clearly a lie. It's not something I would absolutely expect (although when you are aware that a person is not going directly home because they're really busy or tired, but to play video games until 3 in the morning, it's harder to understand), but it would be a nice gesture, and lying about it is the worst part.

Now that I have a car, I have so much ride karma to pay back! I've been doing a good job so far though. I kinda like the idea of karma. With friends I do things because I'm loyal. With strangers, I help them out and am polite and considerate, because it makes everybody happy, and I hope that people would do the same for me when it came time.

[Rag Doll]

i sometimes feel the whole "karma" thing. like, last night, for example. i went to the cheesecake factory to pick up a surprise snack for my boyfriend to bring him at work. soooo, i had been waiting in the "to go" line like 10-15 minutes when i'm finally next...and then this guy totally cuts in front of me. but since i had time before i had to meet the boy, i said, "nono, it's ok, don't worry about it." like, "hey, maybe something good will happen to me if i'm all nice." next thing i know, 3 women join him. none of these 4 people know what they want. they're like.."uhhh...i want this. no, this. no wait, that." omfg *tears out hair*. so, eventually, between the 4 of them they ordered like 12 pieces of cheesecake. and then they saw the bill...which was pretty high, because it was 12 pieces at roughly $7/piece. then they started making all kinds of crazy demands..."if i'm paying so much, i want THESE cherries. i want a BIGGER piece. i want i want i want gimme gimme gimme." argggh. i ended up waiting another half an hour because of these people. and then i determined that it simply isn't worth it to be nice and i might as well act bitchy and selfish like everyone else.

</storyrant>

[Offspring-Junkie]

I believe neither in karma nor in horoscopes. And I ain't superstitious.