Social Media: Are Some People More Concerned With Looking Good Than Doing Good?

In the past, if someone wanted to be seen as a good person, they would have had to behave in a certain way. This is down to the fact that their behaviour would have been what defined them.

As a result of this, it wouldn’t have been enough for them to say the right things; they wouldn’t have had to have done the right things. It would then have been important for them to treat other people well whilst they were at work, and to act in the same way towards their friends and family.

Strangers

In addition to this, how one treated the people who they came into contact with in the world would have also mattered. For example, there would be the people who they came into contact with whilst they were out shopping.

It could be said that it would have been harder for them to treat these people well, as they wouldn’t have always responded in a positive manner. When it came to the people who they were close to, it would have generally be a lot easier, and this is because there is likely to have been a mutual respect.

Doing More

Along with this, one may have reached out even further, and spent time engaging in some kind of volunteering. This could have been something that they kept to themselves, or other people may have found out.

As to whether these people found out or not could depend on if one told them, but it could be due to what they were doing. If one was to help a charity and this meant that they had to spend time in a public place, other people would simply find out.

Meaningless

If one was to talk about how good they are during this time and they didn’t actually do anything, the people around them are likely to have overlooked what they were saying. There would have been no evidence to back up what they were saying and so there would have been no reason to believe them.

In fact, if something like this took place, it might have caused them to look bad. The people around them might have starting to form a negative impression of them, and so what they said would have ended up having a negative effect on them.

To be expected

However, it could be said that it would have been normal for other people to behave in this way. After all, if one was to say something but they didn’t follow through with it, it is not going to have an effect on the world.

It would be the same as if someone was to buy a pack of seeds and spoke about how these seeds will feed their family. And, while this could be the case, they could simply put them in a draw and forget about them.

Useless

If this was to take place, it would be clear that the seeds are not going to have a positive effect on their family. It would be the same as one having a plan to achieve something and not doing anything to make it into a reality.

Therefore, what this shows is how important it is for one to back up with what they say with what they do. Alternatively, they could simply take action and not say anything about it to anyone.

Today’s World

But while this was often how things were in the past, it could be said that things have changed. This is primarily due to social media, and how one has far more control over how people will see them.

Through being able to share things on their wall, it is going to be up to them to decide how they will come across to others. Now, one could have the need to be seen as desirable or deep, for instance, and it is unlikely to be difficult for them to achieve this aim.

A Moral Person

If they have the desire to come cross as being a good person, it is not going to take a lot of effort. The only thing they will need to do is to share things on their wall and to ‘like’ the right things that other people have shared.

Through doing this, other people can come to see them as being a good person, and it is going to be irrelevant as to how they behave in the real world. What they actually do to make the world a better place can be overlooked.

The Reversal

And, if what they say online is seen as a reflection of how virtues they are, it is going to be as if this is the only thing that matters. It is then not that actions speak louder than words, but that words speak louder than actions.

In this case, one could come across as though they are purer than pure online, yet there offline behaviour could be the complete opposite. This is then similar to how people who are abusive can often come across as being charming and then behind the scenes, they can cause all kinds of damage.

An Act

If one was to take a deeper look within them and to see why they have the need to come across as a good person, they could find that it is a way for them to receive approval. It is then not that they care about being seen as good, they just want people to like them.

One could also carry a lot of guilt and feel as though they are a bad person, and through being seen as a good person, it can be a way for them to avid how they feel. But as how they feel is not just going to disappear, they will need other people to continually give them positive feedback.

Conclusion

There are naturally going to be people who will realise when another person is just trying to look good, and it won’t have much of an effect on them. At the same time, there are going to be plenty of people who won’t realise what is taking place.
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Ultimately, if one truly wants to make a difference, it will be vital for them to actually do something. Not only this, they will need to make sure that what they do doesn’t just cause them to feel good, but that it actually has a positive effect on others.