Good to be Good......Better to be Better
They say every child begins the journey of growing up, not when they are born, but when they discover a tragic truth. I don't know if that's something I once heard in a movie, was told by a friend or read on a fortune cookie. If I had read that on a fortune cookie, then I guess I must have been in the mood for some monumentally depressing Chinese take-out.
But, bad comedy aside, it lends credence to the idea that, like everything else in life, like every other experience we have, people can be defined by their individual discoveries. That a person is, up to a point, a physical manifestation of the truth that they discover, that they are the outcome today of the revelation they had long before.
The tragic truth I discovered is surprisingly one that I constantly find myself re-learning over and over again. One that I seem to rebel against, not due to some stubbornness inherent through the passage of my genetic line, but because of something as potentially foolish as idealism. My tragic truth......."ingen god gjerning går ustraffet"........"no good deed goes unpunished".
For the benefit of those challenged by the complexities of the spoken word, this is a well-known phrase. It's defined as a sardonic commentary on the frequency with which acts of kindness backfire on those who offer them. I had first heard this from my mother when I was 8. Of course mom being one of the few people on that planet who actually fit the description of "rational human being", I considered her words, but was quite confused. On an unrelated note, one of moms friends asked me if the term was in regards to a Broadway musical entitled "Wicked" which featured the song "No good deed". Of course, this was something I had no idea about. I mean, my folks weren't, and still aren't, exactly big on Broadway. Thank god for that cause I would've been picked on mercilessly (I really need to stop with these detours into my childhood).
Anyways, I was confused by this statement because of mom. Either due to religious elements or an attempt in shaping me in a positive manner, mom had always taught me to be a good person. Kind, generous, considerate, helpful, polite....the list goes on and on. And I took to that readily because I agreed that it was important to be nice. So, I set off on my quest to be the nicest person in the world. With several set-backs. Not every good deed was rewarded with a thank you. Not every smile was returned. Not every compliment was readily appreciated. In fact, more often than not, it was a constant process of "one step forward, two steps back". There have also been a few major repercussions that have resulted in more sustained damage. Hell, I'm still paying for some of my "good deeds".
"No good deed goes unpunished". Bad things will happen when we try to do good things. In other words, because life is inherently unfair, those who help others are doomed to suffer as a result of their being helpful. So, assuming that this is entirely accurate, the burning question is, why bother? Why make an effort to be a good person, to do good things for others, when ultimately, it will bring you no gain what so ever? In other words, what's the point?I don't mind telling you, this has been a burning debate within the recesses of my mind since I first learned of this truth. And the longer I've had it, the longer I've pondered this, the more confused I've become, the more aggravating I've found it, and the more depressing I've found it to be. Sometimes though, somebody tosses you a bone, be it the universe, karma or, as I prefer to believe, god. This bone came in the form of 2 realizations that I was lucky enough to had had through others. The first one I got late one Saturday night/early that Sunday morning, while channel surfing after a night of drinking, followed by binge-eating and subsequent regret. Without diving into the details, I learned that problems, despite how complex and complicated they may appear, are in fact frighteningly simple, once your willing to accept that, that man is frighteningly simple. The second realization is slightly cheesier to some, considering the fortune cookie crack I made. Its a statement of Karmic Wisdom, speaking on the lesson of time.
Good people do good things, not for its recognition, but for its righteousness, not because we're trying to get props, but because its the right thing to do. Admittedly, its not always the easiest thing to do, given that no one will give you something for nothing, and I am no exception to that. But I suppose one would have to learn to appreciate the idea of doing good as its own reward. No, I'm not preaching here. I'm just saying that maybe the reward we should be looking for is the knowledge that by doing good deeds, we allow someone to achieve something they could otherwise not do on their own, be it a monumental endeavor or a small task. We assist them in something that is of obvious importance, otherwise there would be no reason for them to do it at all. In other words, we help them, period.
Now, is there any guarantee of a reward? No. Odds are, nothing significant will happen. But, if nothing else, I'd like to believe that, even for a split second, I made this world better for someone through my actions. And if my future actions can ensure that for someone else as well, even if it's momentary, then I will do that. Its not a cheesy, idealistic admission. Its just what I believe. In the end, I choose, not to be good for goodness sake, but to be better for the sake of betterment. And I can. And I am. And I will. And I shall.
But, bad comedy aside, it lends credence to the idea that, like everything else in life, like every other experience we have, people can be defined by their individual discoveries. That a person is, up to a point, a physical manifestation of the truth that they discover, that they are the outcome today of the revelation they had long before.
The tragic truth I discovered is surprisingly one that I constantly find myself re-learning over and over again. One that I seem to rebel against, not due to some stubbornness inherent through the passage of my genetic line, but because of something as potentially foolish as idealism. My tragic truth......."ingen god gjerning går ustraffet"........"no good deed goes unpunished".
For the benefit of those challenged by the complexities of the spoken word, this is a well-known phrase. It's defined as a sardonic commentary on the frequency with which acts of kindness backfire on those who offer them. I had first heard this from my mother when I was 8. Of course mom being one of the few people on that planet who actually fit the description of "rational human being", I considered her words, but was quite confused. On an unrelated note, one of moms friends asked me if the term was in regards to a Broadway musical entitled "Wicked" which featured the song "No good deed". Of course, this was something I had no idea about. I mean, my folks weren't, and still aren't, exactly big on Broadway. Thank god for that cause I would've been picked on mercilessly (I really need to stop with these detours into my childhood).
Anyways, I was confused by this statement because of mom. Either due to religious elements or an attempt in shaping me in a positive manner, mom had always taught me to be a good person. Kind, generous, considerate, helpful, polite....the list goes on and on. And I took to that readily because I agreed that it was important to be nice. So, I set off on my quest to be the nicest person in the world. With several set-backs. Not every good deed was rewarded with a thank you. Not every smile was returned. Not every compliment was readily appreciated. In fact, more often than not, it was a constant process of "one step forward, two steps back". There have also been a few major repercussions that have resulted in more sustained damage. Hell, I'm still paying for some of my "good deeds".
"No good deed goes unpunished". Bad things will happen when we try to do good things. In other words, because life is inherently unfair, those who help others are doomed to suffer as a result of their being helpful. So, assuming that this is entirely accurate, the burning question is, why bother? Why make an effort to be a good person, to do good things for others, when ultimately, it will bring you no gain what so ever? In other words, what's the point?I don't mind telling you, this has been a burning debate within the recesses of my mind since I first learned of this truth. And the longer I've had it, the longer I've pondered this, the more confused I've become, the more aggravating I've found it, and the more depressing I've found it to be. Sometimes though, somebody tosses you a bone, be it the universe, karma or, as I prefer to believe, god. This bone came in the form of 2 realizations that I was lucky enough to had had through others. The first one I got late one Saturday night/early that Sunday morning, while channel surfing after a night of drinking, followed by binge-eating and subsequent regret. Without diving into the details, I learned that problems, despite how complex and complicated they may appear, are in fact frighteningly simple, once your willing to accept that, that man is frighteningly simple. The second realization is slightly cheesier to some, considering the fortune cookie crack I made. Its a statement of Karmic Wisdom, speaking on the lesson of time.
Good people do good things, not for its recognition, but for its righteousness, not because we're trying to get props, but because its the right thing to do. Admittedly, its not always the easiest thing to do, given that no one will give you something for nothing, and I am no exception to that. But I suppose one would have to learn to appreciate the idea of doing good as its own reward. No, I'm not preaching here. I'm just saying that maybe the reward we should be looking for is the knowledge that by doing good deeds, we allow someone to achieve something they could otherwise not do on their own, be it a monumental endeavor or a small task. We assist them in something that is of obvious importance, otherwise there would be no reason for them to do it at all. In other words, we help them, period.
Now, is there any guarantee of a reward? No. Odds are, nothing significant will happen. But, if nothing else, I'd like to believe that, even for a split second, I made this world better for someone through my actions. And if my future actions can ensure that for someone else as well, even if it's momentary, then I will do that. Its not a cheesy, idealistic admission. Its just what I believe. In the end, I choose, not to be good for goodness sake, but to be better for the sake of betterment. And I can. And I am. And I will. And I shall.
I love this post Samson!
ReplyDeleteAnd this one: "Good people do good things, not for its recognition, but for its righteousness, not because we're trying to get props, but because its the right thing to do."
FIVE STARS!
Sam,
ReplyDeleteDo good be good, living well is the best revenge....very nice thoughts, as it came in the right time of my wonder....do good people should be going directly in to that process...the more we know the more we dont know....