Embed the core value of Goodness within you

But what is goodness? How does one define it?

Your goodness is expressed by acting and responding in ways that are good for you and good for others, ways such that they can draw out the better sides (the goodness) in everyone. Everything you do in life expresses your goodness or detracts from it. Goodness—as a core value—should be your norm on how you think, act, and respond.

Goodness is constructive—it creates value rather than destroys value. Goodness is positive—it generates energy rather than saps energy. Goodness is beneficial—it helps the self and others rather than self-mutilates and maims.

Goodness is not a rigid set of rights and wrongs, and it is not a set of impossibilities. Goodness is situational and sensible. It is said that the Chinese teacher Confucius did not define goodness for his disciples for he believed that they would feel it and recognize it as they practiced it in different situations, and from those feelings and recognitions they could develop their own goodness further.

Many variations of the “golden rule” have been taught, shared, and preached for over two dozen centuries in various cultures. While not definitions of goodness per se, these can serve as directional statements to help foster a recognition of and provide guidance toward goodness. “What is hateful to you, do not do unto others” allows one to mentally feel what it would be like and avoid actions contrary to goodness. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” allows one to identify possible actions that may have goodness associated with them. These statements are helpful as one practices doing deeds of goodness and works toward embodying goodness as a habit in every thought and action.

One knows he or she is living with goodness when the outcomes of daily actions grow true wealth in yourself, give true worth to others, and provide moments of personal and divine elevations.

Goodness is universal and has always been the right path throughout the centuries. Even in sixth century BCE the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu wrote:

“Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained.”

In more modern times, in the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin would begin his day asking himself, “What good shall I do this day?” and end his day with, “What good have I done today?”

One may ask: If goodness is such a good way of living, why don’t we live it? And even if it is a good way of living, is it humanly possible to act always with goodness?

“Why don’t we live it” presupposes that deeds of goodness are not performed. But there are innumerable deeds of goodness performed every day. A parent feeding their child, a goodnight kiss to a spouse, a smile to the neighbor, a kind word to a friend. The point is taken, though, that people do bad things. That ill gossip or a bad word about someone slips from the tongue, that anger and frustration is expressed in the home, that jealousy initiates untoward behavior at a colleague. Why is this? Goodness takes more effort than apathy or evil.

As stated in Dhammapada, XII:163:

“Bad deeds, and deeds hurtful to ourselves, are easy to do; what is beneficial and good, that is very difficult to do.”

Goodness is a Sign of Strength

Expressing goodness is sometimes misinterpreted as weakness and acquiescing. Goodness, however, is neither passive nor apathetic. It does not mean that you capitulate to an abuser or oppressor. Goodness requires a belief and a resilience that are quite strong. Nonviolent civil disobedience acts of goodness are powerful.

Only goodness can elevate a person, for only goodness has such strength.

The next post will discuss the four other supporting core values that are requisites for fully creating true value from the four related deeds of goodness.