What makes you a good/bad person?

Short answer: just don't be a dick and you'll be fine.

Long answer: good or bad to whom? To me? See above. To somebody else? Ask them. To yourself? Ask your conscience.

There is no alternative to having your own moral compass - even if you choose another, it's still you making the choice. All you can do is to follow your own idea of good.

[–] [Deleted] 3 points (+3|-0)

Bad men keep the other bad men from the door. I believe this. Moral relativists would tell you "all cultures are equal". The truth is they aren't and men (as well as women) bleed to preserve their culture. Only "bad men" can lead us out of darkness. The first glimmer of enlightenment in the entirety of written history began with the Greeks. For all their flaws they were the first that truly began considering the nature of life on a grand scale.

[–] sidewalker_Principle [OP] 3 points (+3|-0)

This sounds intriguing, and philosophical. I think I understand what you are saying, but can you elaborate a bit more?

[–] [Deleted] 3 points (+3|-0)

I'm just saying all people bleed for their ideals. We allow "art" like "piss christ" while Saudi Arabia is still executing atheists for insulting their prophet. I value freedom of thought and expression over any religion. I feel that makes my culture superior. Quite a few Muslims would disagree. We're all bad men that find redemption in our beliefs. At some point every person has to decide what they believe. To pretend "all cultures are equal" is a cowardly retreat from the discussion.

[–] sidewalker_Principle [OP] 2 points (+2|-0)

Yep, that's it right there. To pretend we are created equal is farcical, not to mention boring. How can there be good men when there are no evil ones? How can there be evil men if there are no good men?

And if morality is subjective, then we have to decide for our own selves. And how can we do that if we have nothing to compare our selves to? How can I know if I am a good person unless I compare myself to a bad person? That automatically means we are not equal, and we have to decide who are the bad people from our own perspective.

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[–] KillBill 1 points (+1|-0)

This seems like a easy question until you have to define you own actions. I think if you do something you don't feel good about but continue to do it afterwards then perhaps that's bad. If you know its wrong and you don't feel bad about doing it or even enjoy it, then that's a step further.

Being good to me is trying to treat others how you want to be treated by putting yourself in their shoes or trying.

[–] smallpond 1 points (+1|-0)

Edited

I like to add potential to the mix.

Consider on one hand a person who has a harsh upbringing and associated mental scars and hence realistically can only hope to be a slightly better than average person, at worst a plague on society, and turns out average.

On the other hand a person may grow up wealthy and well adjusted, gifted with intelligence health and charm, and realistically be capable of doing great things for the world. If this blessed person squanders their gifts and turns out slightly better than average, who is the better person of the two?

[–] sidewalker_Principle [OP] 1 points (+1|-0)

I see what you're saying. I feel like its not so much as how many "good points" you get or how far up the positive side you go, but more of a focus on the displacement a person makes in their life. What is the magnitude of the total distance somebody has traveled on the moral spectrum.

Take for instance the first man born into brutality, he began way low on the totem pole of morality yet worked his way up against all odds to barley touch midpoint which counts as zero. I'm assuming this is on a regular number line with positive and negative numbers. His total work that he put into changing himself could very well be greater than somebody who has always been "good" or tried to be "good".

[–] smallpond 0 points (+0|-0)

It ties into not taking your judgement of others too seriously - you can't know all the cards they were dealt in life.

[–] auggs 1 points (+1|-0)

I disagree with maliciously living at the expense of others

[–] sidewalker_Principle [OP] 0 points (+0|-0)

I agree with your statement at the expense of myself.

[–] Sarcastaway 0 points (+0|-0)

Even though I fully believe in a definitive right and wrong, and strive to be good, I don't waste the energy assigning labels. I just feel either satisfaction for doing good, or guilt for doing evil. It ends there.

I am not my deeds, nor my intentions, I am the net result of my actions. This can not be summed up in a word, nor on a single scale.

[–] sidewalker_Principle [OP] 1 points (+1|-0)

I am not my deeds, nor my intentions, I am the net result of my actions.

Very well spoken. I'm taking this line, giving you credit.

So would you say the net result is the equivalent of karma?

[–] Sarcastaway 1 points (+1|-0)

I think I've done more good than bad in this world, but my philosophy is that we can never really know. Our actions outlive us.

Karma is a better interpretation than just summarizing something as good or bad, but even that still simplifies things. I think we just "are." Sure, you could (in theory) rank each person on a list of baddest to nicest based on your personal definitions, but what would that really do for us? Just give us someone to feel superior (or inferior) to, I suspect.

What makes you a good/bad person?

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/s/AskPhuks