Being a good citizen can be as simple as being a good person. In the United States, where I live, being a good person is becoming a lost art. Inconsiderate people saturate political arenas twenty-four hours a day.
What can we do about it? Can we be better? Can we understand the value of being a good citizen?
Reputation
Do you know someone with a bad reputation? Have you ever heard one of your friends say: “Stay away from them; they are toxic.” If you have, you know to avoid this person. Toxic people will typically have low-quality connections that are limited to friends and family that tolerate them. Having a bad reputation will limit your ability to succeed in your pursuits and diminish your happiness.
Being on the Internet is much like being on a busy freeway. People are typically more aggressive and rude than they are at the dinner table. Despite this truth being a decent person on the Internet will improve your reputation. If there is a job, a free offer, or another beneficial opportunity available, people will favor people with an excellent reputation.
Simply put, the outcome of being a good person is preferable. Lying, cheating, and stealing might feel like a great shortcut, but karma will always catch up with you.
Empathy
Learning empathy is a shortcut to being a good person. Employing empathy will increase your sphere of influence and will cultivate meaningful relationships.
Seeking to understand why someone wronged you will go a long way and will build your empathy muscles.
Contrary to the belief of many politicians lying is not good. Lying can feel like an efficient shortcut but it’s more likely to ruin your reputation. Good people will not tolerate dishonesty, and you will likely end relationships by lying to your friends or family.
Ending a relationship with someone can end up being the worst thing that ever happened to you. Having a great relationship with someone can change your life for the better and lift you to heights you never imagined. The risk of being caught in a lie is never worth taking. Compromising your integrity will always lower your reputation.
People of strong moral character will avoid you if you have a bad reputation. Again, you will lose access to the benefits of relationships with good people; it’s not worth the risk.
Responsibility
Taking responsibility is an essential part of being a good person. If you are Response Able, you can respond to the world around you in positive ways. If you say what you mean and mean what you say, it will improve your reputation. Having an excellent reputation will lead to new opportunities and greater happiness.
Responding to the needs of other people is a great way to take responsibility. Being able to respond to adversity by being responsible is a virtuous cycle.
Humility
Humility has become an uncommon trait in a society obsessed with the self. It takes discipline to do your best then deny yourself credit for being responsible, and it’s also a great way to exemplify humility. If you are a good leader or aspire to be one humility is a requirement.
Equality
Showing your bias for a friend, colleague, or family member may seem harmless, but it creates resentment. It takes a lot of energy to treat people differently. When you interact with someone, your decisions take energy; if you always behave the same with everyone, you won’t need to make decisions. It’s a win-win situation to treat everyone equally with respect and empathy. It’s best to avoid double standards at all costs and hold everyone around you accountable including yourself.
Just Do It
If you’re unhappy, do something about it. It is your responsibility to make yourself happy. If, as a citizen, you do not like how things are going in your community it is up to you to change it. It is your responsibility to contact your representatives and tell them how you feel. It is up to you to be the change you want to see. Being proactive by improving your existence will always leads to a better outcome than doing nothing.
Discipline
I never joined the military but considered entering the air force once upon a time. Luckily, I didn’t need to join the military to understand the value of discipline. Being disciplined is a great way to be a good person. Keeping your priorities clear and communicating them with people around you will help you keep your commitments. It will help you be an honorable person that keeps your word, and it will help you stay healthy and happy.
Applying discipline is hard work, but being undisciplined is even more challenging. Lacking the discipline to show up on time, keep your word, and do the right thing creates unintended consequences. You may lose your job, friendships and will lose opportunities. Employ discipline in your life to save energy and improve your reputation with others.
Conclusion
The moral decay of the electorate in the United States is on full display. COVID-19 has shown us that many people are not good. If you know someone that needs to learn how to be a good citizen, please share this with them. Until we can teach people why it is crucial to be a good person, we will continue to suffer. Suffering is a common state of humanity, but we can reduce suffering by being good.
If the current state of politics has you down, join us while we save the republic with facts, reason, and science. It is our duty, as citizens, to stand up for what we believe in, and it is up to us to change the conversation and make America good again.