The first thought that comes to mind is that I don't know if I'm really
a good person. But then the follow-up thought is that maybe if I ask
myself that question frequently enough, that's an indicator that I am?
Goodness to me is a kind of inclusiveness and an acknowledgement. While
there's a lot of differences between people and with their internal and
emotional logic, there are a lot of fundamental similarities too. We
experience fear, uncertainty, isolation. We experience joy, happiness,
communion. We experience lots of things. I think a good person
recognizes the commonality of this experience and embraces it, and does
what he/she can to strengthen the good parts and survive the bad ones
as a PART of something greater. Greater good, maybe. I think it's a
willingness to feel that kind of connectiveness between people and the
self, and express it through action. Cultivating the ability to express
through action is part of what makes someone actively good, I believe.
Maybe the short answer is that there's a common love that everyone can
be part of, and if I believe I can be a contributor of that, maybe I'm
a good person.
