How to be a Good Person

6:52 PM




To be a good person is not an easy thing to do.  In fact it is an everyday struggle for every human being.  In our quest to be good, we try to find ways that will lead us to such state of mind and being.

 An often-repeated story about the struggle of man between good and bad goes something like this:

 A child asked his grandfather if man is naturally good or bad.  The grandfather answered that every man has a good wolf and a bad wolf inside of him.  And so the child asked, "Who will win then grandfather?"  The grandfather answered, "The wolf you feed is the one who will win."

 This story is trying to make us understand that there is inherent goodness and badness in every human.  What will determine who we will be are the choices we make that feed the corresponding "wolf".  We feed the good wolf through joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, compassion, and faith.   The bad wolf is fed by anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

 One way that can lead us towards the good is to find good company.  This means people who will support us in your efforts to make ourselves better.  These people will not judge us in our failures but prefer to encourage us to rise up and try again.

 I recently had the good fortune of being invited to be part of a group in our place called the BEC.  The BEC or Basic Ecclesial Community is actually made up of several smaller communities like the one I joined which basically encourages ordinary  lay people to actively participate in the life and mission of the Church.  One of the things that encouraged me to join was the active participation of the parish priest through his constant presence in our weekly meetings and the genuine enthusiasm of group members.

 My Say
 
I would probably be exaggerating if I say that the people in our group are "saintly" good.  Like me, they are not.  However, I can safely say that these are people who are definitely trying to be good and that is actually what matters most.  Given our situation here on earth, it would be impossible to achieve perfection.

 That said, as we continue our way towards the perfection of real goodness, we will succeed a little,we will fail a little, but this should never stop us from trying to be good person.

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13 comments

  1. Sheryl of Georyl.comAugust 1, 2012 at 6:36 PM

    i am one of those who believe that being good is innate in a person as each one of us is a miracle from God... however, the experiences we had, the environment we live and grew up in and some other factors had influenced our behaviors and personality in one way or the other.

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  2. Franc RamonAugust 1, 2012 at 6:58 PM

    Simple yet enriching story. We both are innately good and bad but its the side we nurture that becomes our character.

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  3. JosieAugust 1, 2012 at 8:56 PM

    A lot of things can influence the outlook of a person in life, the environment and the people around him/her, but there is always a choice on what path to lead on.

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  4. UnknownAugust 1, 2012 at 9:12 PM

    For me being a good person is not measured by how often do we go to church (coz I rarely go to church) but I am not here to defend my beliefs. Its just that living overseas for 5 years and being exposed to so many religions (Muslims, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc etc) made me realized it is not what we believe in but how we interact with other people. At the end of the day its how people see us that measures how "good" we are.

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  5. UnknownAugust 2, 2012 at 9:15 AM

    A very thought-provoking post. Thanks for sharing this!

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  6. Super Mommy JemAugust 2, 2012 at 9:23 PM

    I always wanted to be a good person and I have plans to join in community to serve and help people when I grow older.. I remember my best friend who is a nun invited me to be part of the lay people in their community but I told her in due time.. My priority now is fully to raise my family first.

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  7. ralphAugust 3, 2012 at 8:52 AM

    i still believe that a person is greatly influence by people and the community that surrounds him. we are all just the product of the learning we had in life. Yahweh bless.

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  8. Pepper TanAugust 3, 2012 at 7:30 PM

    You're right. We always give the excuse of being only "human" that's why we are bound to make mistakes. That shouldn't stop us from striving to be good people.

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  9. athenaAugust 4, 2012 at 6:58 PM

    it truly is a struggle to be a good person because we fight constant battles inside of us. even so, we have a choice to be good people.

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  10. mavicdesignsAugust 4, 2012 at 7:32 PM

    Born good and we die good... it's a gift and no one and nothing could take it away from us...
    I do believe too that patience is a virtue..and then we learned to forgive but not to forget but to learn...
    Btw, count me as your follower...I'll see you too... :D

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  11. RosselAugust 7, 2012 at 11:58 PM

    Yes, it is not easy to become a genuinely good person. You need to be selfless which is very hard to do.

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  12. levyAugust 12, 2012 at 5:49 PM

    I agree that it's hard to be a good person but if you believe in Karma and want to receive good things in return then you will strive hard to be nice to other people.

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  13. mavicdesignsAugust 23, 2012 at 2:52 AM

    yes... a person's good character comes from within. not from the financial status nor from the degree you've finished... :D

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