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“In some ways, recognition can be a powerful thing.” – Florence Ng

 

Florence Ng (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

In a second year philosophy class I took many years ago, there was an ongoing debate on whether or not Mother Teresa was an inherently selfish person despite all of her good deeds. After all, didn’t she do good deeds for her own satisfaction? The issue on the table was altruism—is there such a thing as true altruism? Particularly with someone as well known as Mother Teresa, wouldn’t such recognition be inherently selfish? More importantly, does intention even matter when it comes to good deeds? 

 

I posit these questions because our world needs good people doing good deeds. But what does that mean? Perhaps more so than any other point in history due to the wealth of information at our fingertips, we are all riding a delicate tension between hope and helplessness, somewhere on the spectrum of misanthropy and love for humanity. Good deeds feel like a stepping stone for celebrity and corporate clout while activists, advocates, organisers, etc. largely carry on with their lives in obscurity. Does this mean that recognition or the desire for recognition is selfish or evil? Where, then, does obtaining recognition with the hope to inspire fall? What about the privilege of having the resources and/or capacity to carry out good deeds in the first place?

 

Perhaps such philosophical questions are moot. At the core of it, goodness is not an intellectual pursuit, but a series of actions and ideals shaped by experiences, values, identity, and community. Such actions and ideals are often upheld by specific communities, and interpreting, in my opinion, what the human experience is about. In this way, recognizing perceived goodness is no small thing. When we encourage, validate, and give respect to an individual for their good deeds, we as communities are encouraging more of it. In some ways, recognition can be a powerful thing. 

 

For example, if a person publicly says something hateful to a minority group, it isn’t uncommon to hear of backlash escalating into death threats. In this case, can the individuals threatening harm on a person be considered doing a good deed? What if that minority group is a threatening force advocating violence? Can the speaker be considered doing a good deed? 

 

In a world where many feel isolated, it can be difficult to interpret what good means, especially in a place and time where so many conflicting depictions of good and evil abound. It may be difficult to hear yourself in a sea of loud voices. I don’t have a solution for this. Instead, I present my own beliefs on the topic: 

 

1. Actions that exhibit kindness, compassion, and the willingness to understand another’s perspective should be recognized, reinforced and perhaps even publicised to encourage others.
2. Good and bad deeds do not define you, but how you perceive your actions can impact how you view yourself, especially if your definition of good does not align with others. Often, this could wear you down physically and/or emotionally. 
3. Accountability is one of the most underrated forms of goodness. It is a recognition that one’s own actions have hurt people, and steps are being taken to reconcile and heal. When publicised, however, it can often appear disingenuous. 
4. There are no real heroes in any story and the idea of a good person is a myth when we examine the same characters from a different angle. 
5. Not everyone has the capacity to do good deeds or work toward a greater, collective good. We live among many oppressive systems designed to make this difficult.
6. We are all just trying our best every day in the only ways we know how. 

 

None of the beliefs I listed are without their own tensions. There are certainly days where some beliefs are louder than others. Even so, many or all of these beliefs can be true at once in this incredibly nuanced world. Ultimately, the unsatisfying answer to it all is that it’s up to the individual to decide how to recognize and encourage the good you want to see in the world and hope that the rest of the world will follow. 

 

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Hello! My name is Florence, and I’m an educator, storyteller, traveller, avid board game collector and curious, lifelong learner, among many other things. I’m passionate about human connection and mental well-being, and I love meeting new people!