Is it possible to be a good person if you have done really bad things?

Chikombo

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What I mean is that, it feels like sometimes people classify people as bad because they have bad behaviours or something.


But what if, the crimes you have commited are one time things, and they are really bad and everybody knows about them but you are still someone who can act "right" and doesn't explode in anger all the time.

Like maybe you did something bad 5 years ago but other than that you could in theory live a normal life.


So are you still that normal person or are you defined by those bad things anyway and no matter how "good" you are now, you will always be bad person?
 

HowDidIGetPrem

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Yup. You're only labeled good or bad because people believe you to be so. If I believe those sorts of people can be good people, then it's already a fact that they can be good people.
 

Chikombo

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Yup. You're only labeled good or bad because people believe you to be so. If I believe those sorts of people can be good people, then it's already a fact that they can be good people.
See I don't know if that's true, I think even if you can be a good person in theory the stench of your past mistakes will always come back and haunt you. And that's how people will look at you because it would seem unfair to give people second chances.
 

Animegoin

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If a “villain” perceives what they’re doing to be “good” then to themselves and all who follow them, they are indeed good.

Good can also be interpreted different ways therefore the question in indefinitely subjective.
 

Chikombo

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If a “villain” perceives what they’re doing to be “good” then to themselves and all who follow them, they are indeed good.

Good can also be interpreted different ways therefore the question in indefinitely subjective.
But what if, for example, someone is a good person defined by others around him EXCEPT because of one thing he did in the past which is defined as bad by people around him, then he is good and bad at the same time?
 

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I remember as a kid I was told that people who drink and smoke are "bad people" but of course now as an adult I know that statement is utter nonsense.
 

Animegoin

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But what if, for example, someone is a good person defined by others around him EXCEPT because of one thing he did in the past which is defined as bad by people around him, then he is good and bad at the same time?
Again, it’s always up to the respective individuals’ perceptions. I myself may think that (s)he’s a bad guy attempting to atone for what he’d done in the past, or I could think that (s)he’s a good guy attempting to atone for a really bad thing they’d done in the past. (if they’re atoning for anything).
 

Chikombo

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Again, it’s always up to the respective individuals’ perceptions. I myself may think that (s)he’s a bad guy attempting to atone for what he’d done in the past, or I could think that (s)he’s a good guy attempting to atone for a really bad thing they’d done in the past. (if they’re atoning for anything).
A matter of opinion.
I guess.
 

Chikombo

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Let me ask you, would you consider Danzo or Itachi good characters?
I need to think about that answer. Give me a sec.
Post automatically merged:

Let me ask you, would you consider Danzo or Itachi good characters?



Danzo and Itachi were both pretty similar in the sense they followed the rules Tobirama layed out to prevent endless wars. The protection of the village.

Danzo was pretty cruel to Uchiha, making their eyes into his own powers.

I think tbh, Itachi was never fully redeemed, he never tried to do something bad but he in the end he was never fully a good person, he has blood on his hands.

I appreciate Kishi making a character like that but he is still flawed.

Danzo is easy to hate but sometimes people are easy to hate without actually having legit reasons to be hated.


If I would just deconstruct the characters and place them in a different universe like Adrian Veidt in Watchmen, then I like characters like Rorshac more "never compromise, not even in the face of armageddon".

I think that's more noble.

I'm not ready to fully commit and say those characters are mean but right. But I also sort of like being confiused as to what is right and what is wrong.



hmmmmmmm, were they good people.............I mean they did what they did because they believed it was good.


.............................

Itachi's crimes were 1. Abused his little brother.

2. Massacred Uchihas, even though he may not have needed to do that.

Danzo.

1. Made Itachi massacre Uchihas instead of seeking a potential more noble outcome.

2. Was cruel to his subjects, like the kiri shinobi.



If they really didn't have any other choice, then they prevented major wars and stuff.

So that's good.

And if Itachi had not been abusive to Sasuke then maybe Sasuke never had become a strong person, so that could be seen as tough love.


.................................................But then again, judging them by their actions, and not their means, they were pretty cruel.


And I think that carries weight so ulitmately even though I love Itachi I would say him and Danzo are both not good characters.


They are not compeltely evil characters but I wouldnt' say they are good moral compasses.
 
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Ryu Kishi

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For me a bad person is someone who hurt's other people for their own selfish reasons, or does really evil acts. So if you don't do fall in that category then you are a good person.
 

Animegoin

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I need to think about that answer. Give me a sec.
Post automatically merged:






Danzo and Itachi were both pretty similar in the sense they followed the rules Tobirama layed out to prevent endless wars. The protection of the village.

Danzo was pretty cruel to Uchiha, making their eyes into his own powers.

I think tbh, Itachi was never fully redeemed, he never tried to do something bad but he in the end he was never fully a good person, he has blood on his hands.

I appreciate Kishi making a character like that but he is still flawed.

Danzo is easy to hate but sometimes people are easy to hate without actually having legit reasons to be hated.


If I would just deconstruct the characters and place them in a different universe like Adrian Veidt in Watchmen, then I like characters like Rorshac more "never compromise, not even in the face of armageddon".

I think that's more noble.

I'm not ready to fully commit and say those characters are mean but right. But I also sort of like being confiused as to what is right and what is wrong.



hmmmmmmm, were they good people.............I mean they did what they did because they believed it was good.


.............................

Itachi's crimes were 1. Abused his little brother.

2. Massacred Uchihas, even though he may not have needed to do that.

Danzo.

1. Made Itachi massacre Uchihas instead of seeking a potential more noble outcome.

2. Was cruel to his subjects, like the kiri shinobi.



If they really didn't have any other choice, then they prevented major wars and stuff.

So that's good.

And if Itachi had not been abusive to Sasuke then maybe Sasuke never had become a strong person, so that could be seen as tough love.


.................................................But then again, judging them by their actions, and not their means, they were pretty cruel.


And I think that carries weight so ulitmately even though I love Itachi I would say him and Danzo are both not good characters.


They are not compeltely evil characters but I wouldnt' say they are good moral compasses.
See there’s no real cut and dry for some people (you in this case) even when using characters while for me, both Itachi and Danzo are evil characters through and through. They have no redeemable qualities to me regardless of their motives.

The difference between characters and real people though, is that we get a glimpse inside of a character’s actual thoughts, their backstories and the circumstances surrounding the choices they’d made. That isn’t always available for people we encounter in real life, which makes definitively saying that someone is either Good and/or bad difficult.
 
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Chikombo

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See there’s no real cut and dry for some people (you in this case) even when using characters while for me, both Itachi and Danzo are evil characters through and through. They have no redeemable qualities to me regardless of their motives.

The difference between characters and real people though, is that we get a glimpse inside of a character’s actual thoughts, their backstories and the circumstances surrounding the choices they’d made. That isn’t always available for people we encounter in real life, which makes definitively saying that someone is either Good and/or bad difficult.
That surprises me.


I never assumed Itachi was fully redeemed the day the reveal happened but I never imagined people actually disliking him for moral reasons, I thought Danzo and Itachi were some sort of overlords that people enjoy no matter how cruel they might seem.
 
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Animegoin

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That surprises me.


I never assumed Itachi was fully redeemed the day the reveal happened but I never imagined people actually disliking him for moral reasons, I thought Danzo and Itachi were some sort of overlords that people enjoy no matter how cruel they might seem.
For me, I don’t like to blame the characters personally because they’re subject to the will of the author but yes, it is as you said; Itachi could’ve done any number of things differently just as Shisui could’ve but to me Itachi’s sins were far to grave to be redeemable

-Itachi had singlehandedly destroyed what even the Senju weren’t capable of, which is the Uchiha clan. Several generations of Uchiha annihilated, innocent children who had no knowledge of the coup among them. But selfishly spared whom he thought was most valuable.

-He then allowed Danzo to continue living when he could’ve killed him and used Koto on Hiruzen to make him ignore it OR he could’ve used Shisui’s eye on Danzo manipulated him long term like Obito did Yagura,

-He then let Danzo collect the sharingan of the deceased Uchiha to further his goals, which were adverse to protecting Konoha. (Remember, he told the foundation to stay hidden as Pain attacked and destroyed Konoha).

-Itachi collected bijuu, which furthered weakened the influence of other governments. He didn’t kill any Akatsuki members despite being perfectly capable of doing so. He only served as a spy and allowed Kakashi and few other Leaf shinobi to survive their encounters with him, which is a good deed I suppose.

-He was going to take away Sasuke’s freewill to make whatever decision he saw fit via the crow he stuck into Naruto

-He wasn’t even intelligent enough to manipulate Sasuke into awakening the Mangekyou, if Obito hadn’t told him the truth (which Itachi tried to prevent them from conversing), Sasuke would still be a 3T sharingan user, and since he didn’t love anyone, he wouldn’t have ever manifested the sharingan.

-Edo Itachi got lucky that EMS Sasuke And Naruto had never met, because if they had prior to the their battle with Edo Nagato, then Itachi himself wouldn’t have undone the Edo Tensei And Naruto, Bee, etc. surely would’ve been captured.

I never enjoyed Itachi’s character nor Danzo’s. They were needlessly horrible.
 
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