Natasha Henderson
Aug 23, 2017 · 1 min read

If you would like to feel wounded, or want to be seen as an evolved creature beyond the meat suit that encases you I cannot do much to change that for you. What I will say, however, is that being ‘a good human being’ is subjective and situational, based mostly on the judgment on others (even serial killers can consider themselves ‘good human beings’). How folks around you measure that ‘goodness’ is a factor we cannot control as well as we would hope.

It’s what makes certain idiosyncrasies in otherwise socially acceptable behavior tolerable to witness in some and abhorrent in others. It’s seen in criminal sentencing — crimes committed by two people all things being equal but race, or ethnicity, or age, or gender, or sexuality. It’s seen in handling of ambition or sensuality… it’s why in the author’s story he can go to a wealthy group of like-minded relatively homogenous folks and get his survey answered one way, but then go to prison (where sentencing, treatment by guards, treatment by social workers and lawyers, treatment by family vary wildly based on identities) and get wholly different responses.

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