Is Being a Good Person Really Worth it?

[Zensunni]

Has anyone else ever wondered if being a good person is really worth it? Seems like we spend our lives conforming to societal standards, playing by the rules, obeying the law, and what do we get for it? Overworked and under payed in some shit 9-5 job with a boss on a power trip? Sometimes I think the drug dealers, robbers, thugs, muggers, and thieves of society live more exciting lives.

Society likes to tell us that crime doesn't pay because if people figured out that crime does pay, then society couldn't exist.

I found this question really hilarious, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way. I studied philosophy as an undergrad, and then as a graduate student at Stony Brook University, and to be perfectly honest this thread is full of a surprisingly good overview of a variety of ethical systems. I won't comment, I just want to say I appreciate you all.

If you are genuinely interested in this question, it is the central problem and point of discussion of, probably, the single most influential piece of philosophy ever written - Plato's Republic.

[Hammerfest]

If you believe in the Judeo/Christian afterlife, then it probably is.

[Nurvus]

In the end, we're genetically bred to mostly be good.

This is very wrong.

[Renegades]

Has anyone else ever wondered if being a good person is really worth it? Seems like we spend our lives conforming to societal standards, playing by the rules, obeying the law, and what do we get for it? Overworked and under payed in some shit 9-5 job with a boss on a power trip? Sometimes I think the drug dealers, robbers, thugs, muggers, and thieves of society live more exciting lives.

Society likes to tell us that crime doesn't pay because if people figured out that crime does pay, then society couldn't exist.

Trump is living proof that being a good guy gets you no where, and that being bad will get you to the top.

[OrcsRLame]

This is very wrong.

No it's not. Even Chimps are this way. It's not uncommon for an 'Alpha' Chimp to become a tyrant. When said tyrant gets sick, the next two strongest Chimps will gang up on him and rip him to pieces. It's more common though, for Chimps to be benevolent rulers. Chimps that act as benevolent rulers tend to have longer, more stable reigns. Even if a benevolent ruler gets sick and can't take care of themselves, the tribe won't mutiny and will actually help their leader recover. Even Rats have a sense of fair play. They like to wrestle, and both Rats try to keep the games going even if one Rat is significantly stronger than the other. That requires the stronger Rat to sandbag a few games so the little guy has a chance of winning.

[LiiLoSNK]

Here? Not really.

[Caerule]

This is very wrong.

You are saying your parents got together because the common evilness in their hearts?

Pair-bonding with based on good character traits has been an important factor throughout history. We consider such factors to be attractive in the partner we choose for children and building a family with. Parents possessing many qualities we consider good, have produced the children with the highest fitness. Sure, not all have chosen that approach. But the majority have. And those that did not are clearly not in the majority.

[Dreyen]

Crime pays a lot, but if you think the stress it brings is worth it.. I don't know what to tell you.

As a good person, nothing stops you from finding a new job if your current one is shit.

[Kaleredar]

Good clean livin'

[Nihilist74]

I like being evil to people who i think are evil. Really though i usually try to help anybody.

[Kokolums]

Has anyone else ever wondered if being a good person is really worth it? Seems like we spend our lives conforming to societal standards, playing by the rules, obeying the law, and what do we get for it? Overworked and under payed in some shit 9-5 job with a boss on a power trip? Sometimes I think the drug dealers, robbers, thugs, muggers, and thieves of society live more exciting lives.

Society likes to tell us that crime doesn't pay because if people figured out that crime does pay, then society couldn't exist.

Let's imagine you are a group of colonists sailing from Europe to North America. Your goal is to establish a fort in the wilderness and build a new life. Its a harsh existence filled with dangers. Its an incredible advantage if your group is highly disciplined and strict where people are compelled to conform. If you are just a bunch of criminals stealing and killing each other, then your colony faces poor outcomes. So the pressures of forging a new land selected for particular traits that were built into American society. We might call it "good" but its probably more accurate to say being disciplined for the sake of survival.

Fast forward to the 20th century. America has been settled. There are sprawling urban areas and highway networks funneling supplies to every part of the country with ease. The reason for having a highly disciplined society has been removed and no longer makes sense. People question if it is worth it to be "good", when such a question would be obviously stupid in 1620.

[xcitng]

It's worth it to you now, but if you don't think so then you won't ever be. Congrats?

But its not, I don't need thanks or a warm feeling I've helped someone, when that becomes profitable, let us know. congrats?

[mvaliz]

Has anyone else ever wondered if being a good person is really worth it? Seems like we spend our lives conforming to societal standards, playing by the rules, obeying the law, and what do we get for it? Overworked and under payed in some shit 9-5 job with a boss on a power trip? Sometimes I think the drug dealers, robbers, thugs, muggers, and thieves of society live more exciting lives.

Society likes to tell us that crime doesn't pay because if people figured out that crime does pay, then society couldn't exist.

If you believe "being a good person" leads to the above boldfaced, then you're doing life wrong. Being "Good" doesn't lead you to that at all. What leads you to that is complacency and an unwillingness to try something new or, worse, just complaining about life every day to keep yourself in a victim complex.

[Doctor Amadeus]

If ask if it’s worth it you are by definition a bad person.

[Helgrimm]

Id say I always try to make the decision that benefits me most, directly or indirectly. This most often aligns with making the 'good' decision.

[Alefnir]

Well, you have a soviet symbol as your picture, so for you I guess 'good' is defined as acting in a way which will bring about the revolution/utopia. So by your definition, I would say that no, being a good person isn't worth it because your definition of good is my definition of evil. But if you're not really a communist but a nihilist or a post-modernist or some other breed of ethical non-realist, then again, the answer is 'no' because there's no objective good, there are only structures of power. Because you're even asking this question, I doubt you'd be anything other than these things.

[The One Percent]

Most people are neutral at best. There are very few "good" people in this world.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Probably not worth it but being any thing else seems less worth it.

[Nurvus]

You are saying your parents got together because the common evilness in their hearts?

Pair-bonding with based on good character traits has been an important factor throughout history. We consider such factors to be attractive in the partner we choose for children and building a family with. Parents possessing many qualities we consider good, have produced the children with the highest fitness. Sure, not all have chosen that approach. But the majority have. And those that did not are clearly not in the majority.

You're mistaking physical characteristics with emotional and psychological.
Children are usually mean until they learn different, not the other way around.
Children also often turn out considerably different from their parents once they grow up.

A single good character trait can have vastly different sources from person to person.
So two people may have similar character traits despite one being "genuine" and the other "self-made".
Doesn't make them the same.

So again, we are bred to mostly be good? This is very wrong.

The most successful people aren't necessarily good. In fact, they tend to be those who step on others.
Being successful has a way of getting you partners and children.
Those children are then also likely to be successful, not necessarily for the right reasons.
By contrast, lots of good people end up unsuccessful, usually because the not-so-good people end up backstabbing them on their way to success.
Lots of women are attracted to the kind of man that dumps them, sometimes only after getting them pregnant.
Lots of women have a tendency to friend-zone the good guys.

But we sure can keep trying to breed "genetically mostly good children"

Still...
Measuring the worth of good is for those who aren't.

[Very Tired]

If you live your life being an a-hole, a train could fall on top of you and no one would even feel bad about it.