Semi-cheesy question Are most people inherently good?

HarvestMoon1
Wed, 30 Mar 2016 19:42:38 +0000

No one has really defined what it means to be a good person.

I think in the everyday life of most CC posters it could be defined in a couple of very basic and perhaps even simplistic ways.

Do we do the “right” thing when no one will know the difference? If a cashier hands you back an extra $20 with your change, do you give it back or let his register be short at the end of the night and jeopardize his job? If you find someone’s wallet outside a restaurant, do you take it back inside and give it to the hostess? If you smash into someone’s car in a parking lot doing damage, do you leave a note with your contact info or just walk away?

I also think you can define a “good” person by observing how they treat others that they have power over or that they employ. Do they treat those people with respect or do they capitalize on that power to the detriment of the other person? I have a very hard time trusting people that abuse servers in restaurants, are harsh with people they employ in their households/companies or that “lord” their position of power publicly in a display of dominance. Sounds trite, but I think inherently “good” people are comfortable with power and use it to help others along rather than to dominate.

And then of course we all have our own biases and that probably customizes our own definition. For instance, I personally think you can tell a lot about someone by observing how they treat animals, the elderly or any other vulnerable person.