I don't necessarily think that any of my "good deeds" really qualifies as a "good deed" per se. I mean, there is pretty much a whole shit ton of bad karma that I have to make up for and I think that my moments of "goodness" are really only canceling them out a little at a time. I don't know that I can live long enough to "undo" the bad with the good.
But how do we measure "good" and "bad"? How do we judge our actions as being "good" or "bad"? What might be "good" to some may not work out to be so for others. TOTALLY depending on the intent, mind you. I mean, obviously, if the intent was malicious and mean, does the deed still count as "good"? What if the intent was "good" but simply because it really only served yourself as some sort of "self justice" and it hurt than your intended target? And to what degrees would "bad" really be considered "bad" then?
I'm a rotten person, but it's not like I killed people and molested baby pandas and kicked puppies. I'm "rotten" for a whole different set of reasons like laughing at inappropriate moments, pointing out other people's stupidity and not being very kind or polite about it, I lack patience when it comes to certain things and I will voice my disdain and displeasure. I make fun of people that I believe deserve to be made fun of. I mean, not exactly material for my being nominated for the "Nicest Person in the WORLD" award, ya know? But is that enough to put me into the same category as some of the other types of "bad people"? You know, rapists, murderers, animals abusers, child molesters, politicians?
Depending on who you talk to, it's all different. Some will say that it is very cut and dry, black and white. Bad is bad. Good is good. Done. That's it. Others will argue that there is no such thing a absolutes when it comes to these matters. There are only different shades, hues and tones of gray. Doesn't help a person trying to figure out their life, does it? I mean, how does one "turn their life around" if there really aren't parameters? Who gets to define those parameters?
Think about it: Okay, so I will continue NOT being a murderer, rapist, animal abuser, child molester or a politician. I will continue to stay in the lighter shades of gray therefor, I am a good person.
Does that really make sense? I mean, what defines what a "good person" is? It can't be just about NOT doing the things you shouldn't. Not doing what is CLEARLY wrong should go without saying. So what else SHOULD it entail? Where do we draw a line where selfish ends selfless begins? My opinion? Well, I mean, one should be able to go about living their life without making all sorts of sacrifices, especially for others who wouldn't give a shit that you were making them. On the other side of that, one should also not expect for others to have to make sacrifices in their owns lives, in order to support theirs.
Okay, so you've got your immediate down. Then what? At what point to you cross that line into "good deed"? Give to charity. Pick something up for someone when you see them drop it. Work a soup kitchen. Donate stuff. Pick up strays that you see on the roads. Cheer up a crying child. Volunteer your time. I mean, these kind of things are a given. These are things that you as a human being SHOULD be doing. No special points for doing that kind of shit. Right?
So what's left? There's the rub. Short of something REALLY and TRULY spectacular, like going under the knife and giving an organ to a perfect stranger or seriously risking your own ass, in a dangerous situation to help or save or whatever, another living being or just some other unimaginable circumstance that places you, an ordinary someone, in an extraordinary situation and instead of opting to run away to save yourself, you take action, I'm just not feeling it. Why? Well, because as creatures who are supposedly able to have higher cognitive functions that are capable of higher reasoning and shit, we sure do act like a bunch of heartless monsters. And all these things that we accredit ourselves for as being "good deeds" are really things we ought to be doing anyway. So, do they really count as "good deeds" or what is expected of you as a human being. And then, inversely, wouldn't it be that NOT doing these things make you a doer of misdeeds?
People as a species are selfish, petty, cruel, malicious and absolutely hateful. Obviously, there's a scale, and there are varying degrees and different flavors, but there you have it. Most want to be congratulated and praised for their mediocrity. They want to be celebrated for being "meh", average, mediocre. They feel the need to be hailed a hero, to feed their little egos and help them feel as if they stand out a little bit. Am I guiltless? No. Admittedly not. I'm as shitty as the next guy. The difference between me and that next guy though? At least I've recognized it and I will admit to it openly.
So now the questions becomes, "Well, what the fuck am I willing to do about it?"
Ahhh..... Now comes the hard part. I'm still trying to figure that out.
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