What Makes You a “Good” Person?

Allow your inner compass to lead you to be good

Every person considers some characteristics to be excellent. It is up to the individual to decide what makes a “good person.”

Some characteristics which are likely to be on the list when we are asked why we admire our heroes:

Prudence is the virtue of making the right choice at the right moment, whether it is a good thing or not. It is one of the four cardinal virtues which Plato first identified in his Republic.

You may choose not to act because of prudence, or you may opt for a less indulgent option in the future. In either case, prudence refers to your strength.

An example is spending less on games and junk food, so you have enough to cover your rent and bills. You may spend a little on a small indulgence, but you should prefer responsibility over temporary pleasure or amusement.

Temperance: is defined as a moderate approach to something, not as abstinence from it.

Temperance consists of finding the middle path and balancing the self in any situation. You must know your limitations and abilities to locate the moderate area between them.

Expressing your thoughts while maintaining a diplomatic stance, for example, requires finding that elusive middle ground between what you want to say and the needs and desires of those around you.

Tempering one’s drinking or fully savouring a piece of cake without overindulging is also a sign of temperance. 

Fortitude: people with admirable character frequently display fortitude. Although fear is present, someone with bravery can act rather than stand still. Even though you may see a difficult and dangerous job ahead of you, you will work rather than stand still because you know it must be done.

Integrity: acting with integrityrequires courage.

There are many types of courage, including taking on a challenging workout, standing up to an intimidating person, or facing something that terrifies you.

Doing something terrifies you, but you still do it—that’s courage at level one.

Being a calm, inspirational force to others while feeling the same fear they are experiencing is the last level.

Compassion: isn’t just about understanding someone else’s suffering; it’s also about wanting to do everything we can to help. 

Compassion is a caring and sympathetic feeling for others’ plights. We want to give our time and energy to those in need. We may sympathise with people, animals, forests, or rivers that seem to need help.

Having compassion means understanding another person’s suffering without adding to it, offering what is needed, and giving of yourself, regardless of the outcome.

Generosity: a generous person is often seen as a good person. It’s crucial to spread around whatever we have in excess if we don’t have much. Even if we don’t have much, we should still contribute.

Monetary wealth and physical objects aren’t the only things we can give or share with those around us. Even if people don’t have much money, they can still be highly generous with their time. For example, they might volunteer with senior citizens or do charitable work. Alternatively, they may teach those who want to learn their skills.

Being generous involves giving without expecting anything in return or controlling those you help. 

Patience: is one of the hardest to achieve because we are not naturally patient. 

We prefer things to occur on our timeline. We become irritated and annoyed when things don’t go as we want them to.

Remember that there are billions of other players on this chess board, all of whom are engaged in an intricate dance. Because of this, we must acknowledge and respect that we are all cogs in the machine, and our turn will come. 

Respect: is a fundamental aspect of being a decent person. Respect is multifaceted. It includes respect for other individuals, for oneself, and respect for nature, among other things.

For example, we can respect nature by not littering or polluting water supplies. We can appreciate our housemates by acknowledging that they live their lives differently. 

We can respect our bodies by eating well, getting plenty of exercise, and not engaging in activities that would make us feel ashamed later.

We acknowledge our own and other people’s boundaries and don’t cross them. We listen when people speak and respect their personal choices.

Tolerant: people who talk about their tolerancebut want to lead the next witch hunt are the ones who are genuinely intolerant.

Some people lash out at different groups to express their frustrations throughout history. Today, it’s Muslims and other immigrants. In 200 years, there will likely be another group to receive the brunt of society’s anger.

It’s time to stop bandwagon jumping. You can do better than that.

Integrity: a person ofintegrityacts with honour. It is adhering to your personal moral and ethical values, regardless of other people’s opinions and influences, particularly when they are challenging to follow.

Suppose you discover an ancient gold ring while working on a construction site. In this scenario, you are making minimum wage, and no one but you witnessed it. However, you also realise that it has historical significance. In this situation, you must make a tough choice.

Your integrity would compel you to report the ring to the local liaison officer so that they might investigate it. If you did pawn it, you wouldn’t have received as much money as you would have if you reported it, but you know it’s the right thing to do.

Commitment: means keeping your word even if a job or project is particularly disagreeable. You might, for instance, stand by your promise to stick with a job or project that you intensely dislike, or you might remain devoted to your partner despite your non-monogamous leanings because you promised to be faithful to them.

When you are known as someone who keeps their word, you are valued and respected in your community, amongst your friends and family members. 

Honesty: is particularly admirable when we screw up at work and own up to it, accepting responsibility and taking action to correct it. For instance, if we mess up badly and admit it, we will be respected more than if we try to hide it or blame others.

Some people find honesty a bit painful. When someone is honest about a topic or problem, they care enough not to betray the other’s trust by lying.

Of course, how truth is conveyed is important. We can be gentle in our tone and choose the right words rather than being brutal or sarcastic. What determines long-term positive transformation versus trauma is how truth is delivered.

Humility: are you familiar with individuals who brag incessantly about their awesomeness? The opposite of that is humility.

Despite popularity, wealth, titles, and achievements, no person is greater or lesser than any other person in humility.

People who believe they are superior or more important than others are prone to mistreating others. An humble person treats everyone around them with care and respect rather than bragging about all the wonderful things they have done. 

Strength: mental and emotional rather than physical strength makes for a good person. Gandhi’s hunger strike is a good example. Although it was unyielding, it took great mental and emotional strength to overcome his hunger and work toward positive change.

Despite the atrocious circumstances that Anne Frank and Mother Teresa endured, they both exhibited tremendous strength. Their ability to love and care for others remained intact as well.

You may display tremendous strength by adhering to your values when everyone around you is participating in something you disagree with—standing up for what you believe might be dangerous to you. Being true to yourself takes a great deal of character and will.

Love: although only one word is utilised to describe them in Western countries, there are numerous varieties of love. While we are familiar with romantic love or the love shared between parents and kids, we may also cherish humanity or nature. When we invest our time and effort in others’ welfare, health, success, and freedom, we know we love them.

Allow your inner compass to guide you to the natural goodness you can achieve based on your feelings!

If you or a loved one is having any addiction or psychological issue, call Freephone: 0800 140 4044