The
choice to be good
by
Marcus Loane
19th
Dec 2009
I have chosen
goodness as a principle to live my life by. Now why have I done this? I do not
believe in anything supernatural and I do not follow any religion. I believe in
the power of doing good and being good. I think goodness has real power to make
a difference in the doer of good and the recipients of goodness. This is not
some magic power although its effects may seem magical at times. I do not see
goodness (or badness) as some supernatural ethereal force. Rather it is a set
of behaviours, propensities, mental attributes, attitudes, tendencies and
beliefs about how to think and how to act. Its effects are concrete and real in
people’s behaviour and how they feel.
Why goodness? I
choose goodness because it feels better and makes other people feel better
(usually). It makes life more pleasant. It is inherently rewarding. Goodness
and positivity are closely related – there is much overlap between these
domains. Goodness is not the only principle that I choose to live my life by
but it is one of them.
How do I know what
is good? Goodness is a concept which has developed from various sources and has
been adopted by many religions and legal systems. I wrote an article
several years ago, on where the concept of goodness and morality comes from.
Goodness at its simplest is about avoiding hurting and harming others. It is
about valuing honesty and kindness and respect. It is about forgiving, and
nurturing the positive qualities in yourself and others and not judging others
harshly. It is about developing compassion. These attitudes and the behaviours
they lead to can have real effects in the world and make (your little pocket of)
it a better place to be. They also contribute to your own inner peace.
Forgiveness for example will remove bitterness and anger. Compassion can
prevent it in the first place. A random act of kindness which expects no reward
will contribute to your happiness (psychological experiments have confirmed
this). Goodness, like badness is a part of human nature and it can become an
integral part of what keeps you happy.
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