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Post by Azonthus on Nov 21, 2006 13:19:03 GMT -5
Why be good?
As I was sitting at work today, mindlessly typing thousands of numbers into a database, my mind wandered over the subject of heroes and villains. I’m going to stick with comic book type stories/movies for my illustrations because it was Heroes that made me think of this. In the vast majority of comics, the bad guys have detailed reasons for why they are on the wrong side of the law: they’ve gone insane, they’ve had hard lives, they’re greedy, they desire the power of world domination, they seek revenge for some wrong. But, why are the good guys good? What is their motivation to save the world or to capture the bad guy? Just being ‘the right thing to do’ is not good enough; we all know that people are by nature more interested in a WIIFM (What’s in it for me?) attitude than Others First, Self Last.
Let’s take Spiderman for instance. Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider and gained great abilities. Yes, he first does get selfish with it and becomes a wrestler so he can get Mary Jane. But he also seeks revenge on the guy who killed his Uncle Ben. But, then he goes around saving cats, stopping jewelry thieves, and in general being a good guy. Why? His uncles influence?
Now, we all think Batman is a good guy, right? And it appears that Bruce Wayne has a very good reason for becoming the dark knight. But, he originally became Batman to, again, seek revenge for his parents deaths. And, Batman is a tortured character who often toes that line between right and wrong; and will even step over it on occasion.
Superman? Now there’s a guy with no motivation at all! Most people, when granted his abilities, would use it for their own glory. Superman has no reason at all to be the upstanding citizen he is. Please explain this to me…
Wolverine? No past, people hate mutants, and he’s really got no reason to be good. Why did he join the X-men and fight with them? Same goes for Jean Gray, Storm, Jubilee, Gambit, Cyclops, and all the rest. Well, Beast I can see- he’s searching for a ‘cure’ and to educate people about mutants to erase the fear.
So, what is it that you think motivates the good guys to be good, and to remain on the right side of the law?
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Post by Vorchia on Nov 21, 2006 13:41:33 GMT -5
Well, they've probably been imprinted with the 'be good' by their parents, kindergarten, school, corny kids shows like Barney, etc, etc. Well that or maybe there's just the eternal hope that there may yet be some good in this wor;d that may be worth fighting for after all even though its pretty hard if not impossible to find at times.
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Kaak
Dolphinback
Posts: 39
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Post by Kaak on Nov 25, 2006 14:22:00 GMT -5
Personally, I just hate to see someone having trouble so I want to help them. I've learned that some people make their own trouble and won't ever get out it unless they want to but mostly helping people who need it and can use it makes me happy. So that's why I'm good. My parents were always helping others and I respect them so I think that's how I started. Now I just do it because it seems to me to be the right thing to do.
You're right, it's kind of a weird thing about choosing to be good instead of bad but I don't think, if I were only interested in myself and my own gains, that I'd be happy. I'd still see all the suffering and all the troubles of the world but I'd also know that I wasn't making any of it any better. I don't think I could live with myself. It's just something I don't question. I think it might be something like that for the superheroes. It's not like you can /make/ someone be good in their heart.
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Kaak
Dolphinback
Posts: 39
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Post by Kaak on Nov 26, 2006 13:24:02 GMT -5
This is totally a piece of synchronicity but someone posted this link on my friends' list today: an interview with Philip Zimbardo, who designed the Stanford prison experiment in the 70s. He says, For years I've been interested in a fundamental question concerning what I call the psychology of evil: Why is it that good people do evil deeds? I've been interested in that question since I was a little kid. Growing up in the ghetto in the South Bronx, I had lots of friends who I thought were good kids, but for one reason or another they ended up in serious trouble. They went to jail, they took drugs, or they did terrible things to other people. My whole upbringing was focused on trying to understand what could have made them go wrong.It's a really fascinating interview of his experiences paying attention to what corrupts people. www.edge.org/3rd_culture/zimbardo05/zimbardo05_index.html
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aric
demi-admin
I drink your milkshake!
Posts: 989
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Post by aric on Jan 14, 2007 0:08:30 GMT -5
Why be good? As I was sitting at work today, mindlessly typing thousands of numbers into a database, my mind wandered over the subject of heroes and villains. I’m going to stick with comic book type stories/movies for my illustrations because it was Heroes that made me think of this. In the vast majority of comics, the bad guys have detailed reasons for why they are on the wrong side of the law: they’ve gone insane, they’ve had hard lives, they’re greedy, they desire the power of world domination, they seek revenge for some wrong. But, why are the good guys good? What is their motivation to save the world or to capture the bad guy? Just being ‘the right thing to do’ is not good enough; we all know that people are by nature more interested in a WIIFM (What’s in it for me?) attitude than Others First, Self Last. I think perhaps you underestimate the role of empathy. Sympathizing with the plight of others, and, most importantly, being able to do something about it might go a long way towards explaining comic book superheroes. As Bruce Wayne says in Batman Begins, compassion is what separates the good from the bad. And sure, human beings can be crude and self-interested. But there does seem to be an attraction within the human psyche to gravitate towards things that let them become part of something greater than themselves. Whether it's the subsuming conformity of Nazism or the moral nobility of "Truth, Justice, and the American Way," I don't think we can underestimate the power of an idea either. Let’s take Spiderman for instance. Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider and gained great abilities. Yes, he first does get selfish with it and becomes a wrestler so he can get Mary Jane. But he also seeks revenge on the guy who killed his Uncle Ben. But, then he goes around saving cats, stopping jewelry thieves, and in general being a good guy. Why? His uncles influence? Now, we all think Batman is a good guy, right? And it appears that Bruce Wayne has a very good reason for becoming the dark knight. But, he originally became Batman to, again, seek revenge for his parents deaths. And, Batman is a tortured character who often toes that line between right and wrong; and will even step over it on occasion. Superman? Now there’s a guy with no motivation at all! Most people, when granted his abilities, would use it for their own glory. Superman has no reason at all to be the upstanding citizen he is. Please explain this to me… Wolverine? No past, people hate mutants, and he’s really got no reason to be good. Why did he join the X-men and fight with them? Same goes for Jean Gray, Storm, Jubilee, Gambit, Cyclops, and all the rest. Well, Beast I can see- he’s searching for a ‘cure’ and to educate people about mutants to erase the fear. So, what is it that you think motivates the good guys to be good, and to remain on the right side of the law? Decency probably goes a long way in telling them right from wrong. While a character like Wolverine might be brutal at times, I don't think one could say that he is completely without decency if his portrayal in the movies is any indication. With perhaps the exception of Wolverine (and I say "perhaps" because we don't know enough about his past to say for sure), I would imagine this is a quality that was taught and instilled into them as they were growing up while others, sadly, may not have internalized that lesson. - Aric
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Post by Wolf on Jan 28, 2007 22:28:36 GMT -5
I think a lot of it has to do with the life influences. As you said, spiderman had his uncle's influence, batman was revenging his parents but no one ever says what kind of people they were. Probably good if it is a part of him but the hurt of his parents' deaths brought him closer to the median. Superman had his adoptive-parental influences. From all i have ever seen of them, they were good people.
I consider myself to be a good person. I help people as much as i possibly can often to my own detriment. I have DDD, arthritis, and bad joints, along with a few other things so i am often in quite a bit (okay a lot) of pain but i still help people lift things, i work to the best of my ability, and give of my time unselfishly. Most of what i do and who i am comes from my life's experience. I have been raised well and know "right" from "wrong" to my perceptions. I was raised with a respect for the religions of others, a respect for others, knowledge enough to know what is the right path for me, and a healthy dose of responsibility.
Another part if it is the morals that are developed in people as they grow. Each person has their own even if some are similar. From agnostics to zen budhists, we all have a sense of what we should and should not do. A lot of it comes from how we are raised, as do most things but i also think that some of it is genetic. I don't know if i am making a lot of sense in this and i have pretty much run out of ideas at hte moment.
More later probably, Eb Dr
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