There are two kinds of good: the one that benefits you and the one that benefits others. Sometimes they overlap, but most of the time they are the opposite. The two kinds of good both have flaws because they are mixed with personal feelings, desires, greed, and selfishness. Personal good is often attacked because as it satisfies the minority’s need, it hurts the majority’s interest. Trophy hunting is an example of personal good. People who organize the hunting activity think it is a way to protect the environment, while people who do not hunt consider it to be a ridiculous explanation. In this context, trophy hunting satisfies the minority’s desire to kill, but because the majority doesn’t approve it, it is considered to be a “bad” activity. Compare to personal good, what the majority think is “good” appears to be more controversial. Female circumcision is no doubt an inhuman treatment to women, but in certain areas in Africa, most people see it is a ritual to keep women “clean”. In this context, circumcised women are minorities. They are hurt because the majority consider circumcision to be a good thing. This is also the reason why it takes longer to stop rituals like female circumcision.
However, there is also a kind of good that sacrifices one’s own interest but benefits all. Gandhi used hunger strike as a method of nonviolent protest to enhance peace. His action seems to be universal good, but is this the truth? Good cannot be obtained without bad. If something is good to a certain group of people, then it is definitely bad to the other group. It is impossible to build a utopian society because there is no universal good. Everyone want different benefits from the utopian society, but things they like can be harmful to others.
There is a good that is often neglected. It is the law of nature. Everything has an important position in nature. They all grow and die follow this simple law. There’s no good or bad, because no one interferes with the law for their own benefit. If people just follow the way life should be and do not desire, they will live a content and equal life. But because humans cannot stop desiring, good or bad will still be a worldly argument.
I like how you state that what is good for you may not be what benefits others. I think it is difficult to find balance between the two so that neither you nor others feel neglected. I also find it interesting that you say there is no bad nor is there good. I think that fate does play a major yet limited role in our lives.
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