The True Measure of a Man :: Goodness Ethics Morals Essays

The True Measure of a Man Being a good person is something that everyone strives to do. For most, it is a subconscious thing we do. For others being a good person is a way of life, not just a superficial â€Å"look at me and what I do,† but a deep spiritual understanding that everything one does in their daily life is beneficial to others around that person. For starters, one must define the words good and bad. Dictionary.com’s definition of a good person is â€Å"a person who is good to other people.† Its definition for a bad person is â€Å"a person who does harm to others.† Both of these are vague so one must venture into the definitions of the words good and bad. The definition found at www.dictionary.com for the word good is, â€Å"Socially correct, proper, beneficial to others, valid or effectual under the law, characterized by honesty and fairness.† The definition of bad is, â€Å"Not achieving an adequate standard, evil, sinful, unfavorable, having undesirable or negative qualities.† It seems as if the public has determined the meaning of good and bad to be whatever they want it to mean. This paper is going to use good and bad in relation to people; where good is benefiting someone, and bad is hindering someone. In the story of Robin Hood, Robin begins his life as a law abiding citizen. After his father is killed, the sheriff of Nottingham denies him his father’s place as a ranger. He is coerced into killing a deer in front of a large group of lawmen, making him a criminal. From that point in the story Robin becomes a member of the Sherwood men. These men do not just live in Sherwood Forest; they take a toll from anyone who is passing through the forest. All of these men are deemed outlaws by the local sheriff, and his military. By being pronounced as outlaws, it makes them bad people who break the laws. From a different point of view, they might be outlaws but they chose that life because they were breaking unjust laws. They as a group agreed to break any law they thought was unjust and unfair to the people of England, while pledging full allegiance to the king of England. In a public view these people were bad men, but one who came to know then could see them as good men wh o wanted the best for England and all of its people.