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The line between good and bad was thinned out and blurred a long time ago. Sometimes "bad" things are done for the right reasons or a "good" deed is done under false pretenses. Most often, we are all to far into the gray area to pass any judgment on another. However, most people still feel the need to categorize others into good or bad. In this day and age it is almost impossible to judge a person by their actions because only they know the motivation behind what they do. Although still difficult and possibly inaccurate, the best way to put someone in either category is to examine the overall characteristics that they represent.

In my opinion, the first characteristic of a good person would be respect. There are so many problems in this world that are created by the utter lack of respect for others. We as a society are so self absorbed these days and have this overwhelming idea that how we live and what we think is the only right way to be and believe that anyone not conforming to these ideals are not worth respect. The key to overcoming this and to be respectful is to follow the golden rule, "treat others as you would like to be treated". A good person is someone who is respectful in their speech and actions and who realize that we are all equal and all deserve equal amounts of respect.

The second characteristic is politeness. Polite speech and action has almost been completely lost in our world. We are so busy throwing out profanities and slurs that we forget that the person we are slandering is a person with feelings just like ours. We don't take the time to realize how the person is thinking or feeling before we attack them with our words and actions. A "good" person knows that politeness is key and it is essential to soften our words and to be much less hateful to one another. A please and thank you can make all the difference in the world.

The third characteristic is kindness. Too many times we walk by those in need and do nothing because it is inconvenient for us to help them. Too often, we are mean just for the sake of making someone feel as bad as we do. A truly kind person will go out of their way to help another and will not do it for personal gain. A kind person wants to help because it is the right thing to do and it is never the right path to make another suffer when they can be helped.

The fourth characteristic is honesty. We spend so much time hiding the truth of things that we forget how to be honest with each other. Lies feed upon lies and people will go to any lengths to make sure that their web of lies do not come unraveled. If we were just honest with ourselves and the people around us about our thoughts and ideas, life would be much simpler and calmer. A "good" person knows when to implement the "honesty is best" policy.

These four characteristics are the root of all good and bad people. I feel that the lack of these main attributes are the seeds of many others. When you lack respect, politeness, kindness and honesty; you open the doors for greed, hate, distrust and violence. When you have these four characteristics, you open the door for happiness, love, and peace.

Learn more about this author, Lindsey Stell.
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