Interesting Psychology Team
Most people want to be good, but what does that really mean? At times, we’re all left wondering what the right thing to do is. Some philosophers dedicate their lives to answering this question, and while their ideas can help us find the answer, there’s no one way to tell who’s good or bad.
However, there are some common signs that reveal someone’s good nature, like how we communicate with each other or react during difficult moments. If you believe that your past mistakes determine your moral status, these six signs could prove you wrong. You might be a better person than you think.
1 – You Act With Good Intentions And Compassion
Your thoughts, words, and actions make up a decent portion of who you are, and an easy way to identify your moral stance is to observe them. If you generally lean toward goodness and act with compassion, you can probably call yourself a good person.
Good intentions include positivity, self-control, and consideration for others. You may try to help people by giving them your energy, love, generosity, or patience. You might also consider yourself someone with grit, determination, courage, and a desire for truth. All these qualities contribute to your status as a good person.
2 – You Are Ready To Learn From Challenges
There are two types of people in this world: those who surrender in the face of challenges, and those who see challenges as opportunities for development. If you perceive life’s obstacles as a chance to learn, you are more able to improve skills in your personal and professional life.
You may have heard this perspective referred to as having a ‘growth mindset.’People who believe that challenges are a part of life, rather than impossible barriers, tend to be focused on their personal growth. If you’ve learned from your past failures or challenges, or feel that you’ve evolved a lot through personal development, you’re probably a better person than you think.
3 – You Recognize Your Biases and Own Up To Your Mistakes
Nobody is right all the time. We all make mistakes, whether that means emotionally hurting a friend or messing up a project we’ve invested a lot of time into. Being a good person isn’t about not making mistakes; it’s about owning up to them when they happen. Your ability to see your own biases and how you react in light of mistakes, says a lot about your character.
Denying your mistakes might protect your ego at the moment, but it isn’t helpful in the long run. So, If you’re able to accept your imperfections and continue to search for growth, you’re probably a better person than you might think.
4 – You Make Time For Both Yourself And Others
Helping others is virtuous – no one will argue with that. And it can actually help you, too. Studies have shown that helping others has positive effects on both your psychological and physical health. It can boost your mood and give your life more meaning. This means, giving to others might actually give you a more fulfilling existence.
However, giving all your time and effort to others doesn’t necessarily make you a good person. Focusing on yourself and your own well-being is important, too. Good people make time for themselves – knowing that they can only do their best when they are at their best.
5 – You Mostly Meet Your Definition Of A ‘Good Person’
We can all agree that killing, stealing, and cheating are immoral, but when it comes to how we handle our day-to-day lives, what we consider ‘good’ is relative. So, our morality is largely determined by how we handle small dilemmas, and that can look different for everyone.
For you, being a good person might mean being caring, supportive, and present for others. For someone else, it might mean giving people the space they need to process things. And while your ideas may contradict one another, you might both fit the bill of what it means to be good.
So, not fitting into someone else’s idea of what it means to be ‘good’ doesn’t make you a bad person. Instead of seeing the situation in black and white, and trying to fit into a mold created by someone else, establish your own definition of a good person. Write down 3-5 words that describe that person. If most of those words describe you, you’re probably a good individual yourself.
6 – You’re Able To Create And Sustain Healthy Relationships
Maintaining healthy, meaningful, long-term relationships is a sign that you’re a good person – and a good friend. When you treat others with respect, compassion, and care, they see your value. And it goes the other way too.
In healthy relationships, everyone appreciates one another for who they are. Often, those people are able to enforce their boundaries without being aggressive. They support others without enabling bad habits, and they show vulnerability without expecting others to take on their burdens.
When you’re responsible for your own actions and emotions, you’re more capable of having healthy relationships. I think it’s safe to say that we’re all doing our best. Now, that doesn’t mean we’re all ‘great’ people.
Knowing the difference between right and wrong when it comes to the big things is easy, but knowing how to handle small situations, like a dispute with a friend, can be much harder. However, if you possess a growth mindset and the deep desire to be a better person every day, chances are high that you’re a good person.
But even if you’ve put in a lot of work when it comes to self-development, no one is ever done improving the skills of self-awareness and logical thinking – which help us determine what is and isn’t moral.
As always, we want to know what you think!
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