Your Ideal Self - Do you believe you're a good person?

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   sexpressionsposted 12 years ago

   I was reading a threat started a while ago (and since then discontinued) about 'the ideal human' and was intrigued by the responses. I really enjoyed the topic and was wondering what kind of input some of you hubbers have as far as virtues are concerned.
   
   Do you believe you are a good person? If so, why? What makes you so special? What's your secret to success in this area?
   
   I personally, do Not believe I am a great person; however, I'm not too shabby. If there is one thing I have as my saving grace it's that I have the most positive outlook on life that I have ever had. I owe it all to my ability to accept all things the way they are. My greatest virtues are acceptance, and my natural tendency to automatically forgive. (Which isn't always a positive in My favour.)

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      lostwithinmyselfposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I would really like to believe i am a good person, but at times do not feel like it. I think part of my up bringing as made me believe this. I was often told i was no good, i should of never been born, and so many people i have meet through my life have made me believe i am no good. Sorry for such negativity here but i don't have much positivity to give . x

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         sen.sush23posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I totally believe you, and my experience says that this happens so often. There are parents, family members, friends who are just too casual with the words, adjective they use for susceptible, sensitive children, infants, teenagers- and which leave its mark on the psyche of the growing adult. I am sorry if that has happened to you. It makes the going really tough and you need to do a mental regime to rediscover yourself and trash the opinion of others. Form your own opinion of yourself, by being kind and loving to yourself. Being good is so relative, that everybody can be good.

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            Dawn Purcellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I am so sorry you feel negative about yourself but let me share my thoughts with you. I have looked at your blog and excuse me for not knowing what a blog is as i m learning,it's impressive and helpful for those who feel the same so with this in mind please see something positive in yourself. I myself recently learned after many years of searching for answers from those who i held responsable realalised that the only person who can help me is ( ME ). I hope you will understand that the more we feel down hearted about our past then   they are winning, so chin up head up walk tall, you are a good person,our past should not cloud what sort of person we are now, ok it makes us more aware and sensative and may even be the reason why we make bad choices in life. I say what makes a good person is someone who can help others, treat others the way you want to be treated yourself and not the way you were treated in the past, good luck in finding your positive self, you really are a good person and when you believe this others see and believe in you...

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               sen.sush23posted 11 years agoin reply to this

               While I really appreciate your comments, let me clarify, I do not feel negative. What I have written is not a personal experience, but having worked long, I had come upon people who suffer from negativity  due to circumstances. I am on the contrary a too optimistic person, sometimes even for my own good.
               Thanks anyway, for the sentiments expressed.

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      Dawn Purcellposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Self praise is often excepted by our inner self as others don;t see the goodness in our personality's. I would agree now at 52years old i have been my own worse enemy by being to forgiving and allowing others to voice there opinions.I chose now my friends more carefully, negative people drain my resources emotionally,  a positive person would be more effective therefore not leaving myself open to questions that really would not give them answers to the kind of person i'am. Yes i know who and what i stand for morally, i have no trouble telling anyone exactly how i feel and yet this is seen as my efforts are to make me feel better about myself . I know i truly are a good person who is forgiving and always give people the opportunity to openly talk and hope we have a positive outcome were possible and if they chose to remain a friend a mine then i welcome a second chance ...YEH HERE'S TO GOOD PERSONS OUT THERE , BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

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      Cagsilposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I don't believe I'm a good person.
      I didn't.
      Nothing makes me special.
      Secret to success? Since I don't believe I'm a good person and nothing makes me special, how are you to measure whether or not I'm successful without knowing more about me?
      And do you realize the above statement is purely and solely based on your ego? Just a thought.
      And, yet it is still to be figured out if the positive outlook on life is truly positive in affects and effects on other people. However, so far it's not looking good.
      Acceptance of all things the way they are? This would require extensive knowledge of everything in existence so as to gather true wisdom and to have a specific understanding of life itself. However, so far that's not looking good either.
      This is the second statement you've made with regards to acceptance. There's no natural tendency to automatically forgive. Even acceptance doesn't offer such a thing, unless you're referring to forgiving yourself. But, I'm betting you are talking about forgiving others.

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   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   I am a great person. Course took a lot of work, so messed up as a particular culture
   can make you by indoctrination with what the great person should be.

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   cathylynn99posted 12 years ago

   i once heard a counselor speak on self-esteem. he said on a 0 - 10 scale, everyone is a 5. we all have different strengths and weaknesses and no one is perfect. all are equal.
   
   that said, by my own quirky rating scale, i am an 8, because i'm intelligent and compassionate, two qualities i rate very highly. if someone rates athletic ability highly, i might not do so well on their scale.
   
   i do believe all humans are equal to each other. no one is any better or worse than me. i believe everyone does absolutely the best they can, given their circumstances.

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      sexpressionsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with this completely. I try to help people overcome their fear of embarassment and rejection by reminding them that nobody is any better than them. Not to mention help decrease conflict with others by remember you are no better than them either.
      
      There are many ways to stay grounded - and I believe this one has proven quite successful.
      
      To respond to knowlyourself, I never took into account the difference out looks of cultures... That definitely makes this question a harder one... I guess if we believe we are good people within ourselves, it's good enough... Right?

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   iviskeiposted 12 years ago

   No, I really don't consider myself a good person. I'm not mean or anything, but I am not the most emotional person either.I sure try though...but common sense over emotion has always been my strength. I'm also the eternal optimist. ^_^

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   paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

   If a person is continually trying to be a good person, then by definition they are a good person. Most people do indeed try. But, alas. There are also many who do not.

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   luluspieceposted 12 years ago

   If you aren't a fan of YOU, then who will be?  I think we could all agree that there are certain things that we would consider absolute "bad" qualities, but who is to say what makes you a good or bad person. Point being, human kindness is everywhere, the rarest places at the oddest times, it will come through so I would agree the "AVERAGE" person would be a 5 on that scale

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   shoganposted 12 years ago

   I'm a good person.  I'm willing to look at myself honestly to see how I've made mistakes.  One of the most difficult things for me has been finding out that I hurt someone I love deeply, when I couldn't see it while it was happening.  I think a good person always looks inside himself first to appreciate where a loved one's pain might be coming from.

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   Home Girlposted 12 years ago

   Can you earnestly think about yourself as a bad peson? I don't think so! But what others might think about you is another story.

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      cindi hposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I disagree with a previous statement that we are all equal. I DO believe there are people better than me, although I am not that bad. For the most part, I try to always be accepting of others and try to understand the reasons behind certain behaviors or attitudes. However, people I deem better than me, I try to emulate.  My wonderful, amazing father always told us kids that there was always going to be someone worse than us and someone better than us, the people we saw as worse were reminders of what we should avoid and the people we saw as better than us we should try to learn from.

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   ftclickposted 12 years ago

   I think you feel a lot better about yourself when you can give your time or something to a friend/relative or at times a stranger and truly know it will help them. I also don't think I am a great person as I equate that to someone who enters a room and has instant charisma to enlighten everybody's mood positively. Additionally, if they are the giving type (things that help somebody), that is who I think is a great person

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    Thelma Albertsposted 12 years ago

    I do believe that I am a good person because I always help somebody that I have to think of myself sometimes. What the others think of me as a person (good or bad) is another story.

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    Jonathan Jancoposted 12 years ago

    I'm a good person because I am compassionate and trustworthy and I am able to share my emotions with people who are emotionally open.
    However, I still have a lot of work to do on myself because I am insecure, self-punishing, egotistical and easily aroused to anger. I do continue to work on myself and want these unfulfilling aspects of myself to change, so I think that makes me overall a good person. I mean, we all have our issues, right?

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    Rastamermaidposted 12 years ago

    I know I'm a good person,first because I don't consume myself with others thoughts. I'm not consumed with anyone else's drama,love life,family life or matters of the like.
    
    I know that everyone has to live for themselves,so I applaud anyone that is trying to make something of their life,just as long as it doesn't intrude on my life,family and our well being.
    
    Now some may say this isn't being very friendly or nice.But I feel allowing someone to deal with their own drama and circumstances is best. They have to live with the decision and consequences of their own actions.
    
    I think being a good person is knowing when something is none of your business.

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    Night Magicposted 12 years ago

    I'm a good person.  I always treat people how I like others to treat me.  I don't criticize or judge --- I get to know them first.  I do try to understand why they do the things they do.  I try to help out whenever I can unless the person turns out to be a USER.  I'll always forgive a person & if they continue to do something that's hurtful, I just keep away from them.  I'm a very positive person & hang around other positive people as much as possible.

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    DoorMattnomoreposted 12 years ago

    I guess this all depends on your personal belief of what "good" is.  I do my best to be who I want to be. Is that good? Who knows, depends on who you ask.

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    mandypooleposted 12 years ago

    I think that if you at least try and genuinely have the right intentions- then you are a good person deep down, even if you make mistakes (which we all do!). I have peoples best interests at heart but know I have to look after myself too.

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    Stevennix2001posted 12 years ago

    To be honest, I really don't know if I'm a good person or not.  Every time I say that I am, or acknowledge being good at anything, someone always comes along to try to prove otherwise, or something happens to blow that out of the water.  This is exactly why I don't really take compliments too well; especially in real life as I'm not used to them. Of course, this is also why I take criticism much more seriously, as it often falls into line to what I already think about myself, as I know I can be my own worst critic.  However, I know that I always have good intentions, and I try to follow by Riker's motto in "Star Trek:  Generations."  Where he said, "Don't try to be a great man.  Just be a man, and let history figure out the rest."  At least, that's what I do.  Therefore, i can't answer your forum question, as it's not my place to answer.  Only YOU and everyone else here can tell me if you think I am or not, as it would be selfish of me to claim that I was.  Yet, it would be demeaning if I said that I wasn't.  Therefore, I leave it to everyone else to decide, as I can only try to be me.  I can't try to be anything else.

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    ThussaysNanaMarieposted 11 years ago

    I strive to be a good person to the best of my ability but I know there are so many others who are better than me.

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       Dawn Purcellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Being a good person is always from within, there will be others who feel the need to be better than you, ask yourself one question and that is....Are they true to themselves or to others in order to look and sound better..As long as you know your a good person then thumbs up to you, you must truely know yourself within and that's amazing as you do not pretend to be anything other than good..

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    Disturbiaposted 11 years ago

    I know I'm a good person, even if I don't always behave like it.  I accept that I am human and therefore not perfect which is ok.  I don't beat myself up when I've messed up.  There's no point and it's counter productive.  It's OK not to be perfect. I like myself and the life I have built for myself and my family.  I always try to do the best I can for my family and friends.  My home and hospitality are always open and available to friends in need.  I support many charitable organizations and do volunteer work. I try my best not to do anything that might bring any harm to others.

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    knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

    You are only a good person depending in your definition of good.

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    Express10posted 11 years ago

    I believe that I am a good person. I have a strong sense of what's right and wrong and am considerate of others often when they are very inconsiderate of me and also do things simply because they need to be done...not because I am asked or have to.

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    Dawn Purcellposted 11 years ago

    How to be or know we are good people is to share our experiences with others..I thank you for your reply and also pointing out facts that i did not see on your profile, but how do we learn if these things are not pointed out,i welcome your reply as a positive one. I do not want to offend anyone's feelings while replying to a hub, once again thank you.

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       sen.sush23posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       No offense taken

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          Dawn Purcellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          happy day's..I never see myself negative as being positive as got me through, i now bring up my grand children even though i'm registered blind and know there is others worse off than myself. I'am in such a wonderful place right now but i have strong views relating to other matters that do effect my life. Staying focused is often harder, my attitude to life is smile staying strong and having good people in my life. I have to say that reading other people's views are helpfull to say the least as it's often self opinionated people who don't have empathy  i struggle with that. It's been really good talking on this subject and thank you for your opinion. Dawn.

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    prettydarkhorseposted 11 years ago

    Yes, I could be bad if I like to.

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    Dawn Purcellposted 11 years ago

    I agree whole heartedly that at times it's good to be a bit bad or naughty, we all have bad day's and even though we know at the time that we should have been a little less opinionated, we could have handled things better...ooopppsss. We are human.

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    seajonposted 11 years ago

    its hard to tell, sometimes I am good sometimes I am not.

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       Dawn Purcellposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I welcome your honesty on being a good person,if your good to yourself happy day's..be truthful we are guilty at times in our life when being bad was the answer. Learning is all part of the person we are today,  we do have a choice.

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    Daughter Of Maatposted 11 years ago

    I like to think I'm a good person. I try to be a good person. Integrity is, in my opinion, the most important value and the one I work hard to uphold. It took a lot of soul searching to get to this point in my life, however. But it was well worth the effort!

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    pstraubie48posted 11 years ago

    I try. I have learned so much about goodness from others that I hope some of it has rubbed off on me. At night when I look myself in the mirror, I do not wish to run and hide if that is any indication. I feel comfortable in my skin and like who I have come to be. The person I like has largely been shaped by my interactions that I have had with others.
    I also think that I have learned to deal with the negatives that come my way in such a way as to turn them into positives. As a result I am a better person had I not faced struggles and challenges. That translates into to more goodness towards others.

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    TJenkins602posted 11 years ago

    I don't know what to think about myself. I think that I do possess some good and bad traits. The jury is out on whether or not I'm a good person. I guess time will tell.

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