Describe a good person

[Kiddo]

The idea for this thread comes from cafe's comments in the "My Naive View of Relationships" thread by
prplchknz.

If you were to describe a good person, someone that you respect and admire what things might you mention?

Honest? Kind? Responsible? That's the kind of thing I mean.

 

[Leysing]

Honest. Friendly. Kind. Respects others. Wants to do the right thing. Moral. Altruistic. Modest. Independent. Respects self. Wants to help.

Something like that.

 

[Prototype]

Tolerant.

 

[Mempy]

There are too many different kinds of good person to name. Moreover, we all have the capability to be good, and at different times in our lives have different levels of goodness, if you will.

But traits that I personally admire are:

The ability to be compassionate not only toward others, but also and especially toward oneself.
Independence.
Honesty, i.e. the courage to put oneself out there genuinely.
Critical thinking.
A sense of humor.
Silliness.
A sense of wonder and imagination.
Mellowness.
Courage in general.

 

[elfinchilde]

empathy. openness--to new experiences, and to others. tolerance: to understand, even if you cannot accept. not to judge. warmth. strength. gentleness. courage. loyalty, honesty. selflessness.

ie, non existent.

 

[LostInNerSpace]

empathy. openness--to new experiences, and to others. tolerance: to understand, even if you cannot accept. not to judge. warmth. strength. gentleness. courage. loyalty, honesty. selflessness.

ie, non existent.

Not true. Sound like me, probably you too if these are your values. Nobody is perfect, and different people consider different things important.

Some people might say someone who is "God fearing" makes a person good. I fear god but only because he turns people into whack jobs. Such religious people might not consider me a good person.

 

[Athenian200]

A good person?

Generous, intelligent, polite, meticulous, sympathetic, adroit, artistic, and practical.

That's how I wish I were, anyway...

 

[lastrailway]

Tolerant.

Yeah, tolerant and accepting would describe what I consider as a good person.

Actually I don't fully understand the OP's question. I can totally respect somebody I don't consider particularly good as a person and I can meet a really good person whom I won't respect too much.
The reasons why I can respect a person, admire them, hang out with them, or consider them good people do not necessarily coincide.

 

[sriv]

Lol, wise. Responsible, fair, honest, and knowledgable.

 

[white]

honesty.
moral courage.
intelligence without arrogance.
strength with restraint.
someone who does his best given what he has.
someone who takes responsibility and doesn't blame others.
Someone kind, giving, but who does not let him/herself be taken advantaged of.
a clear-eyed person.

 

[Nadir]

The ideal. What else?

 

[Atomic Fiend]

I believe that a good person depends on who's judging. I know people who love me and think I'm an excellent individual, and unfortunately there are people who believe I'm a piece of crap, a low life, and the scum of the earth. While I don't agree with the latter, I can understand how I can be viewed as either.

 

[wedekit]

I am influenced by Socrates and Aristotle in my idea of what a good person is.

- Someone who seeks the truth, denying their own beliefs or opinions until properly compared to others. So many people around me are married to their own beliefs (often spoon-fed to them by their parents) before they have even heard other options.

- Someone who shows open concern for others, even willing to postpone some of their own happiness in order to benefit others.

- Someone who believes in the necessity of ethics and morality.

- Unconditional love.

 

[elfinchilde]

^ wedekit, a question for you, if you won't mind? Do you believe that unconditional love is actually possible?

 

[Valiant]

Don't pop that romantic love-bubble, you nasty elf! *shoo!*

 

[nozflubber]

I wonder how people's descriptions of a good person would change if they were cued to imagine a male or a female good person before responding. hmmm

 

[Seanan]

I am influenced by Socrates and Aristotle in my idea of what a good person is.

- Someone who seeks the truth, denying their own beliefs or opinions until properly compared to others. So many people around me are married to their own beliefs (often spoon-fed to them by their parents) before they have even heard other options.

- Someone who shows open concern for others, even willing to postpone some of their own happiness in order to benefit others.

- Someone who believes in the necessity of ethics and morality.

- Unconditional love.

I agree with all of what you said except "unconditional love." That's really risky and can erode your own morality/ethics. In the general, human sense, I can agree with all being "brothers under the skin" but I don't think loving, idividually, a serial killer, mass murderer or terrorist or any other kind of socio or psychopath is healthy. Holding onto who you are is difficult usually and getting close to some types is best left to professionals trained in maintaining themselves in the face of anti-social mindsets and they, definitely, place "conditions" on them.

 

[redacted]

openminded
empathetic
responsible: take responsibility for their actions, take care of themselves, follow through on tasks

 

[CzeCze]

ME.

(Refer to Signature)

 

[Geoff]

ME.

(Refer to Signature)

Aha! So, we have established that modesty isn't a key quality. Good info to have