PPE: Is there no good reason to be good?
DGS ran a Philosophy, Politics and Economics essay competition in summer 2023. Our students were tasked with answering a question that probed into one of the areas of PPE. The best essays were ones that argued clearly and concisely. To see for yourself, please read on below!
Overall winner: Ibrahim M, 7C
Throughout our lives, it seems that the most important things that are stressed to us by our parents and carers is having morals, ethics and principles - moreover being good. However, has it ever occurred to you why we are told this? Why are we told that the bad is not something we should not do, and the good is definitely always the right choice? However, in this essay, I will discuss this topic, how not being good can affect us, what being good really is and most importantly, is there any real reason why being good is good?
Firstly, what is good? Generally, this term of ‘being good’ refers to one’s maturity and morale, through which one employs these traits of personality in one’s actions by performing actions which are in accordance to that which is seen as acceptable. Note here that I have said ‘seen as acceptable’, not ‘acceptable’. Why? Mainly, it is because what is acceptable and right can never be proven as right, or acceptable. When we are referred to as good today, it seems that we mainly have good manners, good intentions, good understanding of others, a nurturing, caring personality and more. Yet whatever we think of as good has never really been a proven fact. Goodness and fact are very different, and goodness is most certainly not a fact. It is a feeling, an abstract, intangible behaviour of the human which is spotted through the actions one employs in daily activity.
Being good - how can it affect us? Mentally, we find that in a study, it was found that being good increased positive psychological development and mental health, leading to reduced risks of heart attacks and strokes. When positive mental health and emotions are at their peak, cycling through daily activity can be simple - and much more fun! A good mental state correlates directly with feelings with which one carries throughout the day. Naturally, a good mental state thus allows one to perform daily activities with optimism and positive emotions - causing a great increase in enthusiasm for the things you do everyday. Thus, when you are good, you seem to find even the most dreary and boring activities more attractive. This allows for a better life. So it seems that being good directly increases positive mental well-being - leading to happiness in our day to day lives!
On the other hand, it was found in another study that being bad throughout life can result in increased pessimism - thus causing poor mental health. Poor mental health obviously does the opposite of what has been described above - it decreases one’s ability to concentrate - it stops the ability of performing activities properly and thus can lead to you dragging through the day with unhappiness eating away at your insides. Not a good feeling to be having every single day! In fact, it was also found that poor mental health can lead to extreme cases like suicidal issues, drugs and cigarette addictions - while also causing poor physical health, decreasing physical activity and increasing inefficient, uneffective, lazy behaviour - in simple terms - being bad can lead to poor mental health, which leads to sadness and depression throughout the day, which leads you to failing at life and sitting on a sofa all day, eating pizza, getting obese, doing useless things and simply feeling guilt, resent and depression within your heart.
Thus, we can see that there may well be many very good reasons to be good! It simply makes your life better! There are lots of reasons to be good. We can see that being good can increase your happiness, good mental health, can make you more attuned with the world and what you have, and most importantly, you won’t be depressed!
Next, we will look at a 2013 study that found that people who volunteered for any specific work for at least 4 hours a week were at least 40% less likely to suffer from hypertension within the following 4 years. Additionally, it was found in a 2010 study that the less people gave to others, the higher their cortisol levels. It was also found that those people who did good on a daily basis had their brain nerves release an endorphin centred around the brain’s pleasure light up, causing something known as ‘helper’s high’. This was the endorphin release when someone feels a rush of enthusiasm, gratitude or satisfaction.
It was found in a study conducted in the University of Wisconsin-Madison that altruists in the office were more likely to remain committed and happy with their jobs. Also, it was found that those mid - 30s who rated being kind as important found their lives much more enlightening 30 years later. Subsequently, we find that after an extensive review and observation upon 40 studies, it was concluded by the BMC Public Health Journal that improved well-being and life satisfaction generally enter one’s life when goodness is one of their personality traits.
A 2012 study published in Psychological Science found that those who thought back to those selfless acts that they committed during their lifetimes felt motivated to do more good! They would feel rushes of gratitude and satisfaction after they completed those acts, and they would be even more motivated to perform well. Thus, they will feel more and more happy about their lives and will never feel unhappy. Consequently, we find that being good is the key to a happy life!
In conclusion, we can say that multiple studies have shown us that being good is the key to a full and happy life, and that they prove the answer of yes to the question that this essay revolves around - ‘Is there no good reason to be good?’. Yes, there are definitely many reasons to be good!