Justin Yonzon

What Makes A Good Person?

My biggest takeaway from this unit of morals and ethics is that for an action to be truly moral

it must done out of one’s own free will, desire, and inclination. The unit has reinforced my own

definition of what it means to be a good person. There are many factors that can attribute to

being a good person. Notably, a combination of a person’s ethical choices and own morality.

Their ethical choices are made based on what is considered to be good or bad, right or wrong by

society or alternatively “by outside forces - by the necessities of my circumstance or by the

wants and desires I happen to have” (Sandel 4). These choices are made in conjunction with their

morality. Morality is one’s own personal sense of what is good or bad, right or wrong. In

addition to ethics and morality, a good person is also someone who operates as Michael J. Sandel

stated, “the duty to treat others with respect, to do justice, and to avoid cruelty” (1). These duties

are also known as natural duties. The varying degrees of a person’s ethics, morality, and the

sense of natural duties are all combined to measure how good of a person I believe he or she to

be. I also take into account Brown University’s three ethical frameworks that help explain how

and why people act when making ethical decisions. They are the Duty, Virtue, and

Consequentialist frameworks. The Consequentialist framework focuses on the future effects of

an action for all people who will be directly or indirectly affected by the action. The Duty

framework focuses on the duties that exist prior to the situation and determines obligations. And

the Virtue framework focuses on character traits, virtues and vices, that are, or could be,

motivating the people involved in the situation. Each one could be more effective based on

different situations, but I believe that a fully ethical person always cognizant of all three, to at
least some extent, when making a decision. I personally believe that a truly good person

considers and effectively embodies all of these factors: ethicality, morality, natural duty, and

embodies an ethical framework. In my daily life, I do my best to follow certain rules that can

generate peaceful feelings between all people. All out of the kindness of my heart.

My first rule is to do no mental or physical harm. Causing harm can lead to other purely

malicious feelings or thoughts. It can also damage another person’s well being. Doing so

immediately violates the natural duty to avoid cruelty. Violence also usually incites conflict or

vice versa. But both can generate feelings disharmony which is the exact opposite of

peacefulness.

My second rule is to wish the best for other people. Meaning to have no bad intentions in any

way for other people. This is important because it, again, helps avoid negative feelings towards

other people. Which leads to more unification and peacefulness. But when wishing the best for

other people out of the kindness of my heart, I know that I am being an honestly good person. I

am trying to avoid a certain imperative, “perhaps the most familiar kind, a hypothetical

imperative. Hypothetical imperatives use instrumental reason: If you want X, then do Y.”

(Sandel 116-124).

My third rule is to not steal from anyone. Stealing immediately violates the natural duty to

treat others with respect. In my opinion, taking what is not yours, without consent, is very rude.

Stealing involves claiming ownership of someone else’s property or material. The robber has no

entitlement to the objects stolen. And some may take serious offense to that kind of behavior. So

in efforts to maintain peace, I do not steal.

 My fourth rule is to encourage those around me. This is to help create not just feelings of

peacefulness but feelings of something greater. By encouraging others, people can feel boosted,

supported, or motivated. And this helps build friendlier relationships between people. Which is

more than just maintaining the peace.

My fifth rule is to know how to trust others. This especially applies to all new people. But can

be altered depending on people already acquainted. Trust can be something very difficult to earn

for some. What’s important is that trust is built on the right grounds. Meaning that it must be

built from one’s own experiences in relation to other people directly. Trust is related to

“obligations of solidarity are particular, not universal; they involve moral responsibilities we

owe, not to rational beings, but to those with whom we share a certain history” (Sandel 223-225).

To those whom we share no history with, trust must be built from the ground up. For those we do

have a history with, trust can be broken and rebuilt many times. With lots of trust between

people, everyone can live together more harmoniously.

My sixth rule is to show compassion to other people. This is important because the ability to

feel sympathy for other can help us all understand each other a bit more. Being compassionate

helps connect people also. It can help people feel a sense of belonging. Reminds them that they

are not alone and there are people around them who can provide support. Again, this brings more

good feelings between people.

My seventh rule is to to be able state my own opinion while also being able to respect other

people’s. This specifically follows the natural duty to respect others. I am able to recognize the

fact that other people may not think the same way as me. But I also recognize that they do not

have to think the same way as me, I know that all people are entitled to their own opinion. I am
only able to state mine. It is not my right to change the opinion of others. I can try my best to

show them my own perspective and viewpoint. But in the end I know that others will believe

what they want to, and I cannot and should not try to change it. Unless someone else’s thinking

is unethical. That is the only time I would allow myself to step in. The reason I allow myself to

step in would be to preserve the peace between people.

My eighth rule is to stand up for what I believe in. This means to try my best to ensure my

opinion is interpreted the way I see it. I do this to help build better communication skills between

those I am connected to. This means to take action against those who would violate the natural

duty. I must protect the natural duties. This includes but not limited to disrespecting other people

and their property, physically or mentally abusing another person, or stealing. Because my

ultimate goal is to maintain the peace.

My ninth rule is to not stereotype. I believe in this rule because it allows me to not assume

things. Meaning that I form my own opinions without the direct influence of others. It ensures

that what I think and believe is of my own thoughts and experiences.

My tenth rule is to always communicate how I am feeling. This is one of my most important

rules. To be able to communicate effectively is very important. It helps groups of people to

understand each other more, just like how rule six does. With more understanding, people are

able to avoid conflict with more ease. This creates a more unified society

I have created this list based on all of my own experiences thus far in life. It has drawn from

many different outlets. These include my interactions between family and friends, television

shows targeted towards kids, teenagers and everything in between, books, and much more. But I

think superheros and other fantasy characters have really had an effect on me. As I watched them
while growing up, I was building the foundation of who I wanted to be. I wanted to embody the

best a person could be. This meant always being kind and selfless, I try to be that person when I

can be. With each passing day these rules have the possibility of being revised. With each new

day comes new experiences. And it can change the way I see something or think about

something. But the ten rules listed before are merely the base of each rule. Those are the heart of

each rule, and they will not change.

These rules are the ten rules I live by, or at least try to live by. I carry them with me

everywhere I go. I keep them in my mind everyday, every second. But I believe it is impossible

to follow these rules to a tee. Because life is way more complicated. There are way more things

that must be considered at all times. But at least by knowing each, I am able to keep myself in

check so that I can correct myself before making an unethical or immoral decision. Now if the

whole world lived by my rules, I think everyone would be more calm and relaxed. I aim to spur

no violence but cultivate tranquility. This would be done through the better understanding

between people with open communication. While also avoiding violence whenever possible.

And on a whole, just having people be more kind and generous to each other.