Are you a good person?

And what does it mean to be one?

Are you a good person? It’s hard to ask this question without defining what good means in this context. I guess a basic definition might be someone who doesn’t break the law, but that doesn’t quite work for me. What about the 10 commandments? But is honouring the sabbath really necessary? Let’s cast a wider net. Goodness encompasses kindness, generosity (of spirit or in other more tangible ways), sticking to a moral code (but then that itself can get murky, what if your code is bad?). It might include honesty, empathy, and fairness. A lot of being a good person is in how you treat people, putting the needs of others above yourself. 

So are you a good person? It’s a hard question to answer. I genuinely don’t know if I am. I hope I am, obviously. I try to be nice to the people I love (and the people I don’t). I give money to charity and care about issues which affect people more vulnerable than myself. I am honest as much as I can be. I don’t put myself first all the time. I live by certain values I think are important. ¹