Being Good At No Cost Is Nothing To Be Proud Of
It fascinates me how most of the people think that they are good human-beings but the world is still going the wrong direction. That is a little odd, don't you think so? I am not even talking about people being manipulated or lost. That has nothing to do with being good. However, there are a couple of forms of being good.
The first form of good requires no efforts or sacrifices. Most of the people possess this quality to help others when it cost them nothing. Most people will brag about how they donated $5 to some charity or helped a lady pass the street. In my eyes, these things should be taken for granted and no one can be proud of it. I mean, if it cost me nothing to do good, I should not get the credits for being good. I should only get credits for letting the goodness spread without my interruption.
However, when it starts snowing and the weather outside is freezing, only a few people would go outside to help that same old lady to pass the street. And when you have nothing, you wouldn't want to donate that nothing to the charity as well. Not even a piece of it. When being good has any (even the smallest) cost, people stop being good and become ignorant. At least the majority of people I met in my life. You might now tell me that I am living surrounded by bad people, but I would just respond that you are not observing your environment if you think that you are living surrounded by better people. Why? Because better people don't exist.
Does it cost you anything to be good? If no, you are only being not bad.
Always ask yourself if you would do the same good things you usually do if it cost you something significant. Answer yourself truthfully.
You're a wise man, my friend. I love reading your posts. You have a great knack of keeping things simple while expressing true wisdom. :)
Hope all is well!
Thanks man! It means a lot to know that someone appreciates my writing! I hope you are doing great as well!
Would it be more useful to look at goodness as well as apathy? If we have a plane with one axis as 'Good - Bad' and the other 'Apathetic - Active', would that be of any utility? I think those 'not bad' people who you mentioned would probably fall into good but apathetic, because they only do good deeds at no personal cost. What do you think?
Yeah, we could call them apathetic as well. However, it is so much harder to actively do good things especially when they are costly.
very goody i likey :)
Interesting piece but forgive me if I disagree ever so slightly. I know many 'better' people and I don't know that many people at all.
Yes, there are those who crow about donating a fiver to charity while it costs them nothing, but there are many others who do much more and say much less.
Well, maybe I exaggerated a little. What I mean is that there are only a number of better people who are surrounded by the masses. And yeah, I also love those people who do more and say less :)