A few good men

People, they say are inherently good by nature, it is the world that makes them not so good to be with.

It's probably this thread that binds us all together and sometimes makes you realize that the world and inherently, the people that live in it, are not too different from what you are. Why is it that no matter how you perceive a person, the more you get to know a person the more likeable he/she becomes. The more time you spend with them the more common traits you discover.

The eternal search to understand this world begins with the quest to figure out the different masks people wear. It’s the search to belong in a masquerade of people flaunting their masks sending you off a quest to parade your own mask. Each mask telling its own story of fear of exposing what lies beneath.

People could argue forever about whether an act is a good deed if the doer's motives are mixed. By my understanding of the term, a gift to charity is a good deed even if it produces a tax deduction for the giver. A service performed by a child is a good deed even if done on assignment from the Scoutmaster. Someone who rescues a neighbor from a burning house has done a good deed even if the thought of getting a medal flitted across his or her mind during the rescue.

If you define "good deed" so narrowly as to exclude all acts that earn recognition, you have a logical problem. Good deeds are likely to be recognized. The stranger to whom I give directions on the street may thank me, thus showing appreciation. Having pulled my neighbor out of the burning house, I may get a medal from the mayor a year later.

Surely these acknowledgments don't knock my altruistic acts off the "good deeds" list. Many of my actions are pre-decided by me knowing that they are good and in essence I expect some form of appreciation from it. The reward might be anything, from a thank you to a medal or making someone feel good about yourself.

Giving in secret is nice, but giving in the open and doing it for a reward is nice too.