Good & bad people

[pboy]

I know we've all been backed into a corner at least once. we've all had our hard times. im sure a lot of us here have been called, or least consider ourselves "good people".

and of course there are bad people out there. but maybe they werent always that way. maybe they were also very good people, but things in life happened, and now theyre do bad things, or are called bad people.

do you believe that sometimes good people are forced to do bad things? and would that still make them a good person at heart, even if they dont mean harm or any ill hearted intention?

[littlestar]

I think we all have choices and sometimes good people make bad choices.

[ProtestTheHero]

Sometimes being good requires you to do bad things. Is the man who murders an armed intruder doing a bad thing? No, the action is bad but the intent is good. Is a poor woman who steals food to feed her kids bad? Stealing is "wrong," but the intent is good.

 

With this in mind, I think we distinguish between good and bad people by their intents and motives. A bad person will commit "wrongful" acts with selfish motives, while sometimes a good person has to do not so good things to get by.

[pboy]

i came up with this thread after a conversation with a friend, and "Robin Hood" came up. Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor, and to take care of himself and his crew.

the conversation then lead to sacrifice of self (ideals, property, etc) so others may advance. etc.

[CaptainPlanet]

The worst people in this world are often the happiest.

[ProtestTheHero]

Yeah, it's why I think moral relativism is such a strong philosophy. It seems the more we learn, the grayer everything is, but unfortunately most of what we are taught and most of the law sees things as black and white instead of shades of gray.

 

Sometimes we don't equal the sum of our parts. I know a lot of people who, in the course of financial desperation or some other struggle, have done questionable things. With that said, I know people who live lives of luxury, yet they have a hard time seeing through the comfortable bubble that they live in. Who's worse? The person that has nothing and must do dishonorable things to live, or the person who has everything and yet nothing to give? It's an interesting discussion.

[pboy]

The worst people in this world are often the happiest.

 

great observation.