People Debate Whether Or Not There Are Actually Any Benefits Of Being A Good Person — ‘Being Honest Costs Me Time’
Should you sacrifice your time and energy in pursuit of being a "good person?"
Olha Nosova | CanvaPro When was the last time you helped someone who dropped something nearby? How about the last time you let someone merge into traffic, even though they were technically “in the wrong?” How about putting your shopping cart back in the grocery store parking lot?
While these things aren’t necessarily the only parameters for measuring whether or not someone is a “good person,” they are some that encompass what it means to prioritize helping others. In our society, are there realistic benefits to putting someone else’s well-being before your own?
Some people on a since-deleted thread debated this question passionately on both sides of the aisle, arguing that there are benefits to being a good person and, unfortunately, drawbacks as well.
People shared their opinions on whether there are actual 'benefits' to being a good person.
Arguing that the “harshest truth” they’ve had to come to terms with in adulthood was the disillusioning reality of “being a good person,” one Reddit poster asked others to justify their commitment to “being good” rather than successful and selfish.
While it might feel comforting to know that you’re eagerly awaiting good karma when you prioritize being a “good person” — in whatever way that looks for you — some people in the thread argued that there are actually not as many realistic benefits to being good.
Many people argued the internal benefits of ‘being a good person’ outweighed the negative consequences of selfishly looking out for yourself.
“People who think there are no benefits to being a good person might be intending to say that there are no financial/materialistic benefits to being one,” one person shared.
“Which is entirely different, but putting it that way makes you sound like you’re not actually a good person.”
Alongside general karmic rules, there are several arguments people in this Reddit thread made to urge people to “be good” — from inspiring community to making great friends and attracting a healthy inner circle of good people.
Dean Drobot | CanvaPro
“Other good people will value and respect you,” one person wrote, arguing that “good people” often reap better social and emotional benefits than selfish ones. “The selfish might eat better, but the selfless sleep better."
If nothing else, being a good person inspires others to be better — you’re putting out a positive vibrational message that’s not only self-soothing for you but attractive to the best kinds of people around you.
Some argued that being a 'bad person' seemed to be rewarded in society.
“Society rewards poor behavior. CEOs, politicians, and basically any elite and successful person is a bad person,” one commenter stated on the thread.
According to these Redditors, “bad people” get rewarded with societal gains like higher salaries, better houses, and accessibility.
Of course, there are some societal, emotional, and relational benefits to being a good person, but it’s impossible to ignore the ways in which “bad people” get ahead societally — money, possessions, and comfort are facets of our lives.
Experts even suggest that narcissists, who tend to have self-serving and manipulative tendencies, often get more promotions and higher salaries at work than other workers. It’s an isolated example of benefits towards “societally bad” traits in people who are only looking out for themselves, but it’s not unfair to theorize that other industries and situations reward similar behavior.
Our society, unfortunately, is incredibly individualistic. Our institutions tend to reward people who are equally greedy, self-centered, and ruthless in prioritizing their own selfish interests.
The individualistic mindset impacts our communities and connections—two things we’re all desperately yearning for—but it also gives power, authority, and financial security to people unwilling to share.
It certainly puts issues with disproportionate shares of wealth and incredible poverty into perspective, but it also explains industries like Corporate America that thrive off the work of other, less compensated and acknowledged workers.
Of course, being a good person is the virtue behind all of the best parts of our lives — from healthy relationships to community and genuinely supportive inner circles of friends. When we help others, we find support. When we sacrifice our time, it's gifted back to us in karmic ways. Don't underestimate the emotional power of simply "being good."
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.