All We are Good But It is the Society Which Makes Us Bad.

Nothing is good or bad intrinsically. This is a relative term. What is good to one may be bad to others. As we live in society, we may say that what is contrary to rules and interests of society as a whole is bad and the contrary is good. On the same logic, we may say that what is good for our family and neighbours is good.
It is the overall social perceptuion that counts. Normally, it is bad to have lustful relations with brother's wife. But in Ladakh, a woman is married not to one but the entire family. So, she has many husbands in tradition of Mahabharata's Drupadi. This is okay in Ladakh.

Yes our peers and surrounding environment plays a very crucial role in making us what we are. Not all are lucky to be atleast surrounded by good people.

Jayen- same surrounds are good to one and bad to others. It is for you to adjust. If you are good, everything will be good. The christian rule is- Do to others as you would be done by. Just be good to all. Others will also be generally good to you.

I also say that surroundings have lot of affect on us. There is mixture of bad and good in society then whenever we try to adjust and be good, maybe we will come across some bad people.

These guys are more popular as most of the world just like hearing bad thing about any person whether they believe it or not. So to stay from the eyes of such people good people have to change themselves.

Let us consider our office, if the boss is someone who doesnt appreciate your good deeds or who is having all bad qualities.What will you do inorder to stay in that job? The only way most of the people find easy is to adjust with that guy eventhough he is bad..it shows that our surroundings has affect on us.

Though good and bad differs from each person's perspective, there are some things which are bad for all. For eg. Terrorists killing innocent people by bombs. If even there are 100 points for the terrorist to justify this act, killing an innocent without any reason is defintely not good.

If we have some qualities like self control(controlling our mind and action),ability to think,analyse things and then make decisions etc, then we can be definitely good even if the society tries to makes us bad.

Ofcourse it depends on the society too!!! But it's not the main thing. If you are good, then you should think of only good things. But we need to adjust the things according to the society. Otherwise things will not be done.

What is good or bad depends on the end results and intentions. If you do anything for unjustly harming others, this is bad. If you have no ill motive to harm anyone unnecessarily and you abide by the law, this is good.

[quote]Meean, If we have some qualities like self control(controlling our mind and action),ability to think,analyse things and then make decisions etc, then we can be definitely good even if the society tries to makes us bad. [/quote]

Very well said Meean, but at the same time if something bad is happening right in front of us or are aware of some bad happening and simply choose to stay aloof, that makes us equally bad too! because ultimately it is we who make the society!

Thanks friends for all your reasoned views.Theoretical abstractions apart,it is undeniably true that the role of a society which is performed through its various institutions and change agents is so great that it differentiates a progressive one from a regressive society.If one looks at some of the Latin American countries gun-running and drug-peddling are the predominant economic activities mainly because they have the sanction from the quarters which matter in a society.Nearer our neighbourhood Pakistan is a case in point.As individuals all are conscientous people but we operate within the societal parameters.While posting this topic I was heavily influenced by a report in a widely circulated daily that a teacher of a prominent English medium school was reportedly blackmailing a student and his parents for a laptop.The poor fellow was detained in IV standard for three years and his parents initially tried to buy peace by giving a second-hand desktop.A teacher is a change agent in our society and he is supposed to teach his students the importance of morality in life.I agree that all the teachers are not like this one but the sad truth is that their number is disquietingly on the rise.

Chinmoy- You have aptly mentioned the case of a teacher coercing parents of child for a laptop. There are many cases of teachers coercing parents/ students for private tuition. Many from other professions also adopt similar tricks. So, the underlying idea is that coercing your students/ clients/ customers etc. for any undue advantage is bad.
I recall Christ's words- How will a man be profited if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul.

However good we might be as individuals unless societal rules,customs and practices and more importantly of the governmental and societal institutions to which all are actions and behaviour subject, are favorable, our innate goodness would never come into play and would always remain latent and passive.

Chinmoy- The government and social law or rules are for general good of all and orderly functioning of society. Normally, the law is good and any one defying the law is bad. The contrary is true only when there is tyrannical foreign rule or rule by a group that is tyrannous to others.

The taste of a pudding is in the eating as the saying goes.We have all good laws framed with good intention but I am more concerned with their true and effective implementation in keeping with the letter and spirit of the law where unfortunately we have a shocking record in this regard.