The dictionary defines goodness as the state or quality of being good(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goodness). While the intensity and copiousness of what it means to be good might vary across time, space and cultures, but it’s defining features and attributes essentially remains the same. Goodness and being good call for and warrant higher standards than the prosaic and the ordinary. However, this definition or meaning is a bit too abstract. Examples might suffice to put into perspective the nature and form of goodness. Consider a hypothetical one. Say, a random persons meets with an almost fatal accident. He or she is abandoned by passerby’s and left to die. But, a person of conscience and goodness will, against perhaps even instinct, help the person. That is, take him or her to a hospital to save his or her life knowing fully there might be prices to pay for this assistance and help. This is goodness. Similarly, an example of day today connotations, might also illustrate the nature of goodness. Say, person A finds a wallet on a street. The wallet is full of money but it also has the address and contact details of person A. If person B, who finds the wallet and returns it to his dutiful owner , then this also would constitute goodness. Goodness can also mean sharing food and water with a total stranger even when there is little for the person who has it. Examples galore can be cited to put into perspective and illustrate the nature of goodness. In the final analysis, goodness is an attribute of the human soul, created by the Almighty. And , it is this aspect of the soul that the Almighty enjoins us to focus on and fortify. Goodness may or may not be altruistic, but either way, it makes the person feel good and the overall benefits percolate to society. A society , that on balance has persons who demonstrate signs of goodness, is a good , humane and empathetic society. The question now is: where do we, by the standards and even metrics of goodness stand? This is an unanswerable question but perhaps it can best be answered when we pose this question to ourselves, in all honesty and integrity. If we find we “ score” less, then there is work to be done. That is, we must then seek to do good deeds which can cumulative lead to a more good society.

KR Desk