Being a “good” person — real or an illusion?
I was born into a Christian family and a Christian society. I know people who were born into all kinds of religions. All say that the most important value or goal in their belief systems is being a good person, some just trying to be so in general while others performing certain actions like giving to charity, volunteering etc. I think most of us — more or less compassionate humans — will agree that helping others either regularly or occasionally feels good. It can make us feel useful and joyful when we see an improvement in someone’s life or day due to our assistance.
Obviously those actions are seen as virtuous and are ranked highly in our societies, by the churches and also are stated clearly to be the goal in many religious scriptures. This is what an ideal human being should be.
That’s when I feel the issue creeping in, because we are flawed. You know oh so well that whatever you are expected to do or to be by other people who have a big influence on your live, you very likely will for show sake. I feel that’s understandable because we have to pay bills and socialise even if just a bit, depending on the life we choose.
But why do so many people loose themselves in the illusion of the person that they are portraying out in the world?
ILLUSION. You can say that’s our biggest enemy, until we learn how to control it for our advancement.
ILLUSIONARY LIFES. Is what most people are trapped in. And you can start a debate on if that’s the society which keeps them locked in it and manipulated, which certainly is intended by the media for example, especially in our childhood when we are susceptible and vulnerable. But then, why are so many people trapping themselves in their self made illusions of all sorts? Even in semingly virtuous ones like being a good person.
Now let’s think of an averagely flawed human being in the modern world, not one of those naturally pure and clean souls and nor the narcissists or criminals who totally lost the sense of reality. I am addressing a state which is a certain loss of reality, but curable I guess depending on the progression.
SELF CREATED ILLUSION can be a good thing. For example dressing up as Santa Clause on Christmas to impress children by creating the festive illusion to play and interact with them in that way. But let’s imagine the guy in the costume gets overly emotionally involved in the play — maybe after a glass or three — to such an extent that he truly starts believing he is the real Santa. It might get weird when he tries to climb into the chimney…which by the way is all fun n games if he comes back to reality when sober. But if not, that might become an issue influencing his entire life from then on.And the only one to blame is himself, because it’s not the societal restrictions but solely his own mind keeping him in his self created fantasy.
This example can be applied to any thing or person that you start to identify with due to having lost your control. You can identify to an emotion, a personality trait, a title or literally any thing after interacting with that specific thing on a very deep level emotionally, rationally or physically, that even without your intention — and so not according to your will this thing becomes a part of your reality. Even a person you wanted to be with only casually became something more to you due to the attachment naturally forming over the time you spend together, despite the fact that you’re incompatible in the long run.
This is why we have to be so cautious with our activities of all sorts, even to the kind of content we are consuming online, and only let things into our lifes and minds that are according to our will and in control.
Coming back to being a good person :)
People who truly live a life to better the world always perform good actions in awareness and in control, as we can only help to sort the mess if we bring in some order. Who can bring in order? Only someone who is self controlled, collected and calculative. Most importantly it means having control of your own ego, as otherwise you can’t have anything truly under your control. This first group of people, they know that they are compassionate and have the resources and time to invest in helping others, so because they are inherently good they consequently perform good deeds, as it’s the natural outcome of it.
People who only act to be carrying of the suffering and the weak, while being aware that it’s just their mask in society, do have a self controlled nature as well and the only illusion they put on is one on the outside in the world to show themselves as charitable etc. while inwardly they know that they don’t care. Might be a bitter sort of folks, but at least they know what’s up.
The third group which I have already been addressing in different ways is the one living in SELF ILLUSION. This group is unfortunately the majority of people in my opinion and experience, not just when it comes to portraying the good person ideal.
Those are the people who by acting nicely and in a self sacrificing way outwardly get lost in the idea that they are good people. They perform the things according to etiquette or tradition, but in opposite to the inherently good people, they know or feel in the beginning that their inner state is not naturally aligned with those traits seen as virtuous or “worthy”. Consequently they perform many good deeds to convince themselves and others that they are good.
Caused by the lack of will, purpose and self control they let the societal restrictions become the restrictions in their minds. They live in an imaginary state of being a good person that is like a self grown demon feeding off of their impurities and ego which is in need of approval and praise of society. This inflated ego is the best mate of ignorance, and the furthest thing from the truth. To be lost in such a state of mind is not good at all. Performing good deeds because society demands it from you in a direct or indirect way, while it isn’t coming from your heart and you wouldn’t have done that if it wasn’t something good in the eyes of someone else is pretty much the BIGGEST ILLUSION and loss of your will and individuality. The world we live in seems to be doing all it can to put us into this state, but in the end only you are responsible if you lose yourself in it.
So it being a good person an illusion or is it real? Well that depends solely on you if you make it an illusion playing for or against you, or the choice of your reality.
