A friend of mine once told me that she feels the most important attribute of a person is kindness. She herself goes out of her way to be kind. She hopes her sons will marry kind women.
Positive attributes
There are many qualities that most people consider positive, such as generosity, respectfulness, kindness, honesty in relationships, loyalty, trustworthiness, dependability, good naturedness, etc. You cannot expect one person to house all the positive qualities, but a person with more positive than negative traits will generally be regarded as a “good person”. When I am asked my opinion of a particular individual, I will summarize as “he/she is a good person” or “he/she is not a good person”. A good person should have the same public and private personnaes. When he is generous and charming publicly, but dishonest and sociopathic privately, he will be found out eventually, but many people would have been scammed and hurt before his true nature is eventually exposed.
No one is 100% good or 100% bad. However, when your negative characteristics override your positive attributes significantly, you will be found out eventually. You will be a lonely individual.
Giving while Living
There are people with significant resources, but who are unwilling to donate or share. Upon their deaths, their beneficiaries may not be as appreciative as they would like them to be. I believe in giving while living, even to your named beneficiaries. Help them when they are in need whilst you are still living. They will be more appreciative. However, it is unwise to give away everything before death.
Donate to some charities if you have enough to share. Offer your services to the elderly during Covid times by driving them to parks, to lunch or tea, to break their tedium of staying at home all the time.
A Person of Value
Ultimately, be a person of value. Be the best version of yourself. Develop wisdom as you age, develop foresight, hindsight and insight. Do not be too busy to bond with family and friends.
If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.
—–Buddha
lingsinglin
Dr Ling Sing Lin is a medical doctor by training. She worked in MOH HQ for many years, in policy making and administrative positions, until her retirement.
