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Jessica Figueroa

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what inspires you to become a good person?

.. and what does it really means to be a "good person" according to your thoughts and experiences?

Topics: inspiration society
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    Benny boy

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    Sep 13 2011: I remember a line i can add here;
    it went like this 'take responsibility for your mistakes because your supposed to be doing good anyway.'
    and i agree with frans; everyone is good the mistake is calling them bad. my 2 cents.
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    Debra Smith 200+

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    Sep 13 2011: For me it is a decision. I look and I see all the good people working hard to make a difference or even to just get by in life and I decided long ago never to put my abilities and talents and energy against them. I want the world to be a better place for my children's children and if I ever hope to see that dream come true, it requires me to be my best self. When you are a mother you are invested in this planet and its outcomes long after your own life has ended. The love you generate now just keeps on cascading down the generations long after you yourself are dead.

  • James Kindler 20+

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    Sep 13 2011: I simply give of myself to everyone, from junkies to judges we are all the same.
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    Frans Kellner 100+

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    TED Translator
    Sep 9 2011: I am sure that there are no bad people.

    Everyone will do what is best or what they know is appreciated. Yet there's a lot of ignorance around but as one knows better s/he does better.

    Some people are distorted or confused by other people and behave unnatural. They need our compassion and love to restore what others have distorted.
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      Jessica Figueroa

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      Sep 13 2011: aww :)
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      Debra Smith 200+

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      Sep 13 2011: Frans, I wish that I could say that I saw the world as you do but I see at least bad actions all over the place. In my MA in Psychology, I studied psychopaths as I was working to figure out some truth technologies and who defeats them. To me, these individuals demonstrate what evil is: self absorption to the extent that only one's own needs and pleasures have any relevance to one self. They are something like human black holes sucking in all light and energy and even matter. It is definitely not certain that psychopaths/sociopaths are created by the actions of any other person (although in some cases it has been documented to contribute to the problem). One thing that must NEVER be underestimated is their intelligence along with their amazing ability to manipulate others emotionally and with deception. While they often report having been treated badly as children there is growing evidence that they are able to feed researchers what they want to hear.
      Thus, I think goodness is the ability to invest your own light and energy into the lives of others for their benefit.
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        Frans Kellner 100+

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        TED Translator
        Sep 13 2011: Yes Debra,
        I understand your reaction very well. Yet it doesn't change my view in that every person is born to be good. If not so, our species shouldn't have survived the ages. Our needs and behavior are designed to live within groups of largely family members with a limit up to around 40 people. I don't think I need to explain all this to you but the point is that if these needs aren't met the natural state of feeling good is distorted. This gives cause to much inner conflict with people in modern society and most of all as they grow into adulthood. This fact is utterly neglected in the way society is organized.

        I've seen many bad things in my life but maybe close enough to see the origin of it also. My answers on the question of Gisela can tell you more about this part.
        http://www.ted.com/conversations/5614/do_you_consciously_have_an_emo.html?c=318479

        Further there are mental disorders and drugs addicts that need help but by lack of it have developed their own strategies to survive. A friend of my just told me that she worked with drug addicts to kick off and re-socialize. She gave the same description as you did and couldn't cope with it much longer. At first sight they aren't human anymore but in reality they lost contact with it. And without help they die. Those that conquer their addictions are often engaged, compassionate people that contribute in helping others to get clean.
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          Debra Smith 200+

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          Sep 13 2011: Fran, the world is a nicer place for having you in it. I very truthfully hope you are righter than I am for I want to believe that too.
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      Erol Toksoy 10+

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      Sep 15 2011: Hi Frans I agree your statement on education and knowledge makes people act better. But there are still bad people who have a perfect training record and all means of cultural background around them while they still act selfishly and irresponsibly to others. I am not sure if they do those things on purpose but they give irreversible harms to society.
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        Frans Kellner 100+

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        Sep 15 2011: What you say is true but absorbing knowledge isn't the same as learning. If you can memorize all phonebooks of the world it doesn't make you necessarily better. Another thing is knowledge of self. If someone was hurt before s/he learned to cope with it emotionally the tendency may arise to hurt others for it.
        So knowing better is foremost to know yourself.
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    Sofia Omar

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    Sep 7 2011: What inspires me to be a good person....

    The heart and mind of an individual and the experience that comes with it inspires the intentions which determine the actions of a person.

    I personally believe to be a good person yet then we can question good in itself ? Can you be good and still make a wrong decision does that decrease how good you are as a person?

    Our actions and us as a person is very close connected.

    Your surroundings, your footsteps and what you see hear or say or do might still to you mean your good because of what you think of yourself? but then we question what do other think of you?

    I think what inspires us to be good is the motivation and ambitious and meeting people with beautiful hearts and wonderful minds. Which enables us to be just the same..

    " treat others as how you want to be treated" if they treat you less then still love them and leave a door open for change.

    I have had a ruff experience in life and it did not change me or stop me from being myself and still being part of a society/community and taking active participation in attempt to create a better world.

    I met people who have a beautiful heart and I actually believe deep down there good people but there actions determine otherwise to those people though.. I can in my opinion say that due to limitation of jobs, addiction and what the system has made available for them to access I think they put aside who they are as person and decide to " bad things" in order to survive which is the sad trap to your question. But I believe to be optimistic and there is always a uturn to make a better person of yourself.. xx



    What a wonderful conversation.

    Thank you, you really made me reflect xx

  • Roman Cieciak

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    Sep 7 2011: Fun Theory. What "good person" means? In terms of Fun Theory increasing other people's happiness.
    As for the religion I personally started to wanting to become better person after I left christian faith behind.
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    Bakul Valambhiya (Mistry)

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    Sep 6 2011: Tree

  • Cristian Montero

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    Sep 6 2011: The interest to be useful to the community inspires me to be a good person. A good person should be able to offer trust and commitment by the people.
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    Erol Toksoy 10+

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    Sep 6 2011: I am not saying I am a good one but my mom and wife surely are and they inspired me a lot about giving more than you take to the soceity that is pretty much what I call being good.
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    Gerald O'brian 50+

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    Sep 6 2011: A full stomac and a roof.
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    Hakana Williams

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    Sep 6 2011: I think a good person is someone who has respect for another human being. I think everything else after that are just labels, and the way we interpret them and our beliefs, as a society, is just a way to separate people into two main categories, good and bad.

    What inspires me to be a good person is being conscious about my actions, and also surrounding myself with other good people.
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    Tambra Tice

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    Sep 6 2011: What inspires me to become a good person? Several things: The fact that I have a conscience that would bother me if I didn't, for one thing. Wanting to live by the Golden Rule is another. So is the fact that I am a parent, and I want to be a good example for my sons, believing in Jesus as my savior and wanting to be like Him....in a nutshell though, it's just the RIGHT thing to do.

    What constitutes 'being a good person' in my book? Doing the 'right' thing even though it's not always the easiest thing, never intentionally causing unnessary harm to any living thing, living by the 'Golden Rule': Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", taking the 'high road' as often as you can...these things (and more) are what being a good person means to me.
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    Rafi Amin 20+

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    Sep 6 2011: When I expect others to be good towards me.
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    Silvia Marinova 20+

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    Sep 6 2011: The kindness and good heart in others. :)
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    Ahmad Tariq

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    Sep 6 2011: Simply be honest .
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    Walter Radtke

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    Sep 6 2011: The suffering of others.

  • walter jose fortich guerrero

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    Sep 6 2011: Las personas no nacemos buenas ni malas, nacemos con estructuras biologicas (redes neuronales) destinadas a permitirnos a desarrollar una vida, gracias a nuestra plasticidad cerebral, podemos adoptarnos a unos modelos eticos adaptados por la sociedad, lo que nos denominaria como "buenas personas" o "malas personas". Te recomiendo que mieres en ted.com sobre Philip Zimbardo.
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      Jessica Figueroa

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      Sep 6 2011: Siempre hay personas que son buenas y malas otras mas que otras, por esa razon mi pregunta es cuales son las cosas que te inspiran a querer ser una buena persona? por que todos tenemos la opcion de ser malos o buenos, por eso hay gente mala que tienen que ser castigados por sus acciones, entonces lo que me estas tratando de decir es que la gente es buena por adaptarse a la sociedad y que no hay inspacion alguna que nos conduzca a tal comportamiendo? :) .. Gracias por tu recomendacion acerca de Philip Zimbardo, y siento que tu respuesta es muy interestante gracias :)
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