What's your badness level?

[wendybeth]

This is one of those things that depends on so many variables, not to mention codified definitions of things good and bad. Also, most people tend to define themselves as at least basically good- a study cited on a show I watched too long ago to remember interviewed a lot of prison inmates, and it posed a similar question to them: are you a good or bad person? Most thought they were solidly on the good side, even though they were in for things like rape and murder.

If I were to be totally honest, I would have to say that: on my scale of good/badness, I am about 60%. My scale is a complex mess of Judeo/Christian Western mores, with a bit of Eastern karmic philosophy thrown in. It got very convoluted when I took Philosophy and Ethics in college, and continues to shift and change as I gain in life experience.* I say 60% because I know where I would like to be and I try to live up to my expectations, but reality has an ugly way of rearing it's head and I have to choose between the proverbial 'lessers'. I don't always choose wisely, but I can honestly say that at least 60% of the time I try. I think.


*My euphemism for old age.

[Alex]

I don't try to be "good" and I have no particular intention to make the world a better place for having been in it, so I don't know how I'd rate myself. As far as what I consider appropriate behavior I'd say I'm up there on my scale.

By other peoples scales I probably bottom out at around 10% goodness up to about 75%.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I don't try to be "good" and I have no particular intention to make the world a better place for having been in it, so I don't know how I'd rate myself. As far as what I consider appropriate behavior I'd say I'm up there on my scale.

That's the really interesting part - we each have our own measure of what makes a "good person". Some people feel that if you do not devote yourself to helping others you aren't "good", and others feel that if you do not devote enough time to yourself you're not "good". Some feel that if you do not continue to stretch your education past basic schooling you're not "good", while others would never touch another book again and still be "good". And so on, and so forth.

I fall in the middle in a lot of different value statements, such as "Good people work hard" or "good people know how to relax". I'm sure everyone does. But I suppose the question is, no matter what your standard - do you feel you meet your own expectations?

We've got quite the range so far. I'll vouch for Lash being very, very good.