We each have our own unique idea of what a good person will look like, act like, and speak like. The different ideas we hold as a nation are wide and varied, but there are a few characteristics that nine out of ten people will list as necessary for a good person to have:

1) HONESTY.

With honesty, you lay a solid foundation of being able to trust in everything that the person says and does from that point on. Without this trust, no matter how much good they do, or how wonderful they seem, there will always be that lingering doubt in the back of your mind, that maybe it's not real. Honesty, and the trust that honesty inspires, is crucial.

2) A MORAL COMPASS.

To be named a good person, one must be able to differentiate between good and bad, and purposely choose good. People often begin by starting out good by accident, but at that point they are merely not bad. To become truly good, one must choose to be good. This does not mean, as many believe, that a good person must not ever get angry, or become disappointed, or feel hurt by another. This merely means that the person does not allow themselves to become carried away by these very natural emotions and to take those emotions out on others in a negative way.

3) CHARACTER.

Another way to say "character" might be "a clearly defined sense of self." A person who is seen as "good" invariably has something about themselves that "proves" for others that they truly are good. Note the young man who was so popular in your class for refusing to smoke, without looking like a sissy. Or the young woman who chose not to sleep with her boyfriend. Note the thousands of young men and women who refuse drugs, and say that they don't want to because they CHOOSE not to. This characteristic ties in with their moral compass. Having a moral compass is required, but then the person must ACT upon their moral compass. If their standards dictate that they not give in to peer pressure, then they must not. If their standards dictate that they repay whatever debts they may owe or damage they may cause, then they must.

Many of us have this moral compass, but the people we define as good both have the moral compass and act according to it more often than not.

4) FLAWS.

Probably the most important characteristic is that they have flaws that they both acknowledge and embrace. No person on this earth is perfect, and none of us ever will be. So, even when we find a "good" person, we must know with all certainty that they will have faults. There is nothing wrong with this, though. Having faults makes a person more approachable, and easier to get to know. The illusion of perfection is likely one of the biggest deterrents a person can have in this nation, if they wish to have friends.

Learn more about this author, Leigh Sanders.
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