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Being a good person seems like an objective thing one can easily judge. Either the person acts like a decent human being or they don’t—it’s simple.
However, many philosophers would disagree with that statement and argue that things are more complex than just that. What is a virtue and what does being good really mean? Do good intentions mean good deeds and vice versa? It’s a topic of discussion that fascinates many.
The people in the following list do both great and awful things. A few also do awful things for the greater good. Are those things really that bad then? Are they bad people for doing them? The creator behind the 21st Century Socrates page tries to encourage this dialogue by discussing the values of these fascinating people. Bored Panda talked to him to see how this account came about. Scroll down to read the stories.
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#1
J 2 years ago
Non-Jewish Poles weren’t just executed for helping Jewish Poles. Their entire family, babies and grandparents included, were killed too. The risk was unspeakably huge for everyone.
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big al 2 years ago
Would I have the guts to do1/10 of what she did?? I say, with much regret and sorrow.. NO!!
Caro Caro 2 years ago (edited)
I would, not bc I have the guts but bc I'm so stubborn. But after torture tho... then I'd stop (I think).
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Bryn 2 years ago
Already a movie about her: The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
Load More Replies...When asked about the origins of the X account, the author, who simply wants to be identified as "21st Century Socrates," said that, in a way, it all goes back to his childhood. “As a kid, I read about Socrates and his incredible commitment to values and wisdom. My parents always used to say not to prefer money over values or integrity, and that’s how I grew up.”
“One day, I was searching for a Socrates-related account on X from my friend's account but to my surprise, there wasn't one dedicated to him. So I decided to create it myself.” At the moment, the account has over 4,000 followers.
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#2
Multa Nocte 2 years ago
Wow! I'm even more impressed as I would be squeamish about bringing the red ants along.
#3
Norm Gilmore 2 years ago
Just think of the phenominal strides in science and arts that have been squandered because of the rascist numbnuts..
Multa Nocte 2 years ago (edited)
I know that I am not Inigo Montoya, but this is almost inconceivable at that time. What an achievement!
Katherine Forest 2 years ago
I just don't know why this book isn't called, "Significant Figures."
T'Mar of Vulcan 2 years ago
The TV show "Timeless" (an underrated gem, cancelled too soon) had her in it. One of the first times I saw her contributions acknowledged.
For those unfamiliar with Socrates, here’s a brief rundown of his philosophy.
Socrates valued knowledge over everything else. For him, seeking out knowledge and wisdom was the prime reason to live. He also loved defining things and getting into discussions about it. What is good? What is evil? What is courageous?
These questions were also what got him in a lot of trouble. You see, to look for answers, he usually would go to knowledgeable people like politicians and poets and ask them about beauty and justice and other things that mattered to him.
#4
AW 2 years ago
Tom Ecker, author of Olympic Facts and Fables, says he asked Owens in 1965 point-blank about the story. ... "Jesse Owens admitted to us that he had not met Luz Long until after the competition was over," Ecker says. 'Those stories are what people like to hear, so you tell 'em,' "
Gardener of Weeden 2 years ago
Hate hitler - NOT Germans - Same for ALL " heads of state" The innocent are the true victims of power hungry hate.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
Is this an AI or an actual photo? I've never seen such a clear picture of Jesse Owens.
#5
Katy McMouse 2 years ago
I would hope I could have done this, but I don't know. The organization and planning it must have taken would have probably been beyond my capabilities.
#6
Sathe Wesker 2 years ago
I still vividly remember doing the Terry Fox “run” during elementary school (here in Canada) where we’d all go out with the teachers and take a long walk around the blocks surrounding the school in honour of him. Definitely a national treasure and I still have mad respect for him to this day.
Katy McMouse 2 years ago
Can you imagine the pain his prosthesis must have caused, especially with the running? I imagine prostheses weren't as advanced in the 80's - the chafing and swelling, I'm sure, would have been an issue.
Wood Carver 2 years ago
His prosthetic was both modern for its era and also woefully poor fit for distance running. It couldn't move fast enough so while we say ran if you watch the videos of him it's a pronounced one sided hop. Honestly makes the achievement even more amazing and his willingness to endure the pain while actively dying more incredible.
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Khall Khall 2 years ago
There's an older movie about him. Been a long time since I saw it but worth watching for anyone interested.
His questions were clever and would often trip up these high-ranking people that wanted to appear smarter than everyone else. Socrates would often walk away from these conversations concluding that they knew nothing, humiliating them in the process.
In a way, it is no surprise that a child would be fascinated by something like that. It is also not a surprise that questioning authority led to Socrates' death. The higher-ups didn’t like the disruption that he was causing, so soon enough he was found guilty of blasphemy and corrupting the youth and was sentenced to die by poisoning.
#7
BabaBizzle 2 years ago
I agree 100% with her and think it’s a shame she was imprisoned. Her sons being molested was prison enough. Shes a hero.
Casey Payne 2 years ago
This really upends what many people consider to be reality. What she did was illegal, immoral and anti-social. But it wasn't wrong. So what is right and what is wrong? What are they if they cannot be defined by legal, moral or social standards?
#8
Ixanga Cancun 2 years ago
He, and his wife, are recognised as heroes in Israel. Both were given citizenship and pensions (but they didn't live together).
#9
Multa Nocte 2 years ago
"Humans of Socrates 9: Simon the Cat"? Everyone knows cats are often (usually? always?) better than humans, so he should have had a much higher honour. 😉
Stygtand 2 years ago (edited)
Thats why humans can never achieve a dickin medal
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Norm Gilmore 2 years ago
After WW2... https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-was-the-yangtze-incident
Deleila Charlie 2 years ago
So they put a cat in harm's way and let him suffer his injuries without help? Great going, humans
Casey Payne 2 years ago
That is not a cat you play with. That is a cat of war. You fight a cat like that, but only if you are stupid. Don't be stupid.
The fact that Socrates valued knowledge so much and saw it as the greatest virtue impacted his perception of good and evil. He believed that whatever people did, it always came from good intentions. And if they ever committed any wrongdoings, it was purely out of ignorance or lack of knowledge.
In other words, if you steal, you don’t do it to rob the shop of their goods, you do it to so that you have something you need. You don’t lie because you enjoy tricking people, it is because it makes your life, at least in that moment, more convenient. You ignore the fact that you might get caught or that it may land you in more hot water in the future. It is benefiting you now, which means you have positive, albeit selfish, reasoning.
#10
Tamra 2 years ago
The amount of s**t that women have waded through throughout time, just for equal respect or opportunities is just mind boggling to me. Where did the belief originate that women were somehow less than?
Satan 2 years ago
Back in caveman days when law was decided by who could lift the biggest rock. Sadly, most people haven't progressed past this.
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Awesome At Being Autistic 2 years ago
I was a kid then but I remember this, and remember a (male) neighbor saying "She's not really a woman." Grrr.
Ursula S. 2 years ago
While it was a watershed moment, keep in mind Bobby was 55 and Billie Jean was 29 years old. Age makes a difference.
J 2 years ago
Keep in mind that himself Bobby declared that age didn’t matter. He said he’d beat ANY female player. Hubris.
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Silviu Leibovici 2 years ago
Yeah, but more recently in Australia, no 1 from women lost to a number 200 man ... 🤫
Binky Melnik 2 years ago
I don’t want to take anything away from her, but I just read about eight people who saved lives and changed the course of history, and then reading about a tennis match (which I can remember) seems awfully inconsequential. But only in THIS list. On a list of accomplished women, this’d certainly be a highlight. I’m just thinking of these people meeting: “I saved thousands of lives. What’s you do?” “I played a tennis match.” 😞 (I spose I should save my disappointment until after I’ve read more of these, huh?)
Tracy Wallick 2 years ago
Unfortunately this is still a thing. I recall reading a study that something like 1 in 6 men think they could score a point against Serena Williams at tennis.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago (edited)
Serena Williams would've killed him, but the story could be called "Bobby Riggs a tennis match" (Yeah, the game was rigged.) The verdict is still out, but if you ever saw the Saturday Night Massacre, you know. No way on Earth Riggs was so much better than Margaret Court.
#11
Awesome At Being Autistic 2 years ago
I was diagnosed with my first ulcer in the very early 70s, as a young child. This man made a world of difference in my life. Conventional medical thinking in the 60s and 70s said that ulcers were caused by stress and diet. A bland, "white" diet was prescribed. Milk, white bread, cottage cheese, and never anything flavorful or spicy. Needless to say, it didn't help. Getting antibiotics for my ulcers in the late 80s did. A truly life changing moment for me.
Fire Singer 2 years ago
That is awesome and I'm so glad this helped you! Oddly enough I was thought to possibly have ulcers not too long ago, it was about 2010(ish)? Turned out to be my gallbladder, but the reason I say this is because even then it my doctors were still thinking it was due to stress and that eating a bland diet would help if I did in fact have ulcers. Apparently some doctors need to get caught up on their research because I just learned this all today and had no clue ulcers, even though I didn't have them, were not a result of stress.
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Julia Mckinney 2 years ago
This discovery really helped me. Back in the early 90's, I'd started having issues with my stomach feeling hungry all the time so I was seriously overeating. Talked to my doctor about it, she suggested a specialist then the specialist diagnosed the H. Pylori infection, got me on the right stomach medicine and antibiotics and I stopped feeling as if my stomach was constantly empty. I did lose a little bit of weight but needed to retrain myself to NOT overeat.
Mabelbabel 2 years ago
I was a medical student in the early 80s. At the time, gastric ulcers had a significant mortality rate-if it perforated the stomach, between 20-50% of patients died (the older the patient, the more likely to die, but it was one of the biggest killers of men under 50 at that point). In the early-mid 80s, the treatment of choice, if diet and antacids didn't work, was an operation called highly selective vagotomy. That was an operation to cut the main nerve to the stomach, the vagus nerve. That was supposed to reduce the amount of acid the stomach made. It was basically last resort, with a death rate of its own, and potential life long side effects. These days, most people are cured by a short course of antibiotics. His discovery saved an awful lot of lives.
#12
iseefractals 2 years ago
Rosemary Kennedy didn't have "an intellectual disability" she had mental health issues, which lead to her dear old daddy Joe, ordering a Lobotomy for her in 1941 in an effort to "calm her down" so she wasn't an embarrassment. The "procedure" was a disaster, Rosemary was left almost completely disabled, dear old dad sent her to a psychiatric facility for 7 years, before sending her to catholic care home. He told none in the rest of the family about any of this, it was presumed that she had simply "run off" He didn't see her for the rest of his life, and the rest of the family went two decades presuming her dead or simply missing before learning what their father did upon his having a stroke. Modern medicine has deduced that Rosemary was likely BIPOLAR. To say that she had "intellectual disabilities" implies she simply was dealt a bad hand, perpetuates the myth of the Kennedys, and dismisses the immense progress of society in regards to not only mental health, but the treatment of women
Multa Nocte 2 years ago
Regardless of whether her sister had an emotional or intellectual disability or even no disability at all, the creation of the Special Olympics was an incredible and heartwarming achievement. I used to assist regularly at local Special Olympics events, and you cannot believe the amount of true joy at these events, especially as compared to some of the more violent sports events (I'm talking about the actual fans at many "normal" sports events).
Wood Carver 2 years ago
Thank you for this. Sometimes even if the foundational event for something is awful, and we now know Joe Kennedy fit firmly in that category, it can grow beyond that. And the special Olympics is such a bigger thing than the man that gave the woman who founded it the experience of a sister with special needs. The information on how Eunice got her disability is horrible for sure. That it inspired an event which may be the single most exciting and important event for an entire group of athletes who are so regularly left out may be the one positive to come out of that whole situation.
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Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I have a family friend who has cerebral palsy and has competed in the special olympics. He won some medals too.
Julia Mckinney 2 years ago
Eunice didn't give Rosemary the lobotomy, Rosemary's father Joe was the one who did it. Eunice and the rest of the family went decades without knowing what had actually happened toRosemary.
Load More Replies...This explains why 21st Century Socrates uses his platform to amplify stories of both do-gooders and criminals. Both of those can be seen as sort of heroes, depending on how you look at it. Yet, the creator doesn’t even want to focus on the person themselves. He likes to emphasize the stories and actions of the people and how it highlights their values.
#13
#14
#15
Julia Mckinney 2 years ago
Already did, in college, twice. Got bit on the arm and later yelled at for interfering in her life for the first person (she drank most of a bottle of 150 proof rum and took off, I slowed her down long enough for the campus cops and medics to get there). The second person thanked all of us and went to counseling (there were 3 of us- one in the window abover her, one in the window below and I was outside her locked dorm room door and we couldn't find the RA to unlock it for us).
So, how does one find these types of stories? By doing a lot of reading. “A major source of my inspiration comes through X, documentaries, and online websites. When I see a great act, I just add them to my schedule of people to cover.”
#16
Premislaus de Colo 2 years ago
Enigma code was broken by Marian Rejewski. Turnig developed the solution presented to him by Rejewski, which was later confirmed by Sir Dermot Turing in his book. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-06149-y
J 2 years ago
THANK YOU! Turing didn’t solve Enigma. Polish mathematicians did. This post is not accurate.
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BTDubs 2 years ago
Alan Turing died by su!cide after having been persecuted and prosecuted for being gay. He worked so hard to defeat the Nazis, only for the British government to criminalize him. How sick and ungrateful.
bob cameron 2 years ago
A near and dear relative is "gay". I live in nort America and I fear for him everyday. Why the he'll should it be an issue for anybody to care about who someone else loves?
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#17
T'Mar of Vulcan 2 years ago
Interesting facts: 1) He's now on our money. and 2) My mother was on the same ward as him in 1990 in the Park Lane Clinic. She said he would come past in his dressing gown and greet everyone. I didn't see him (was too shy to even go near his room) but I did see Winnie when she walked past! And when Walter Sisulu came to see him, my mother piped up, "Hello, Mr Sisulu!" My mom said he looked at her like, 'How do you know who I am?' My mom said to me, "I watch the news! I knew who he was!!" LOL.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
A case where I'll admit I was politically dead wrong. Mandela had been a terrorist; he was in prison for a damned good reason, and I thought it was foolish to let him out. He had become a statesman.
BTDubs 2 years ago
Are you f^cking kidding me? He was imprisoned for being part of and co founding resistance movements against the racist, white only, Nazi apartheid government. Madiba was imprisoned after the Rivonia trail, where he was convicted of sabotage, NOT terrorism. Get your facts straight before you insult an entire country, kay?
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Multa Nocte 2 years ago
Yes, Claudette Colvin did not receive the same attention as Rosa Parks, but given the attitude of white people at the time, it made more political sense to use Rosa Parks to highlight bus discrimination. She was in no less danger than Claudette Colvin, however, and was still very brave for doing what she did.
BarkingSquirell 2 years ago
Thank you for mentioning her name, this is the first I've heard of her.
Load More Replies... Julia Mckinney 2 years ago
Interesting note, Mike Illitch, the owner of the Little Ceasars pizza chain, paid her rent for 11 years. Ms. Parks had been attacked and robbed in her apartment so after that, Illitch and other Detroit residents moved her into a safer apartment where he then paid her rent til she died.
T'Mar of Vulcan 2 years ago
Interesting fact: Mrs Parks played herself in an episode of "Touched by an Angel".
“The thing I like in them is the courage to do a thing which maybe 99% of the humans would pass on. What gave them that courage? I am really fascinated by that aspect,” says 21st Century Socrates. He believes that the reason behind such acts of bravery is often strong character and values.
#19
Ima Manimal 2 years ago
I don’t think it’s ok to gain notoriety and fame by making a spectacle of oneself taunting, teasing, and harassing wildlife. Don’t mess with the wildlife.
Red PANda (she/they) 2 years ago
He wasn’t teasing it, he was simply swimming around it, showing the others that it wasn’t as aggressive as people thought, reducing the stigma around sharks which could lead to less hunting of sharks (according to this post; I haven’t done any further research so I could be wrong)
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#20
Norm Gilmore 2 years ago
Bit of copy and paste going on in these. The Sarah Sands article has the same "It didn't slow down the nightmares....."
BabaBizzle 2 years ago
Came here for the same thing ! Same exact quote ? Sure Jan
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#21
Ken Schroeder 2 years ago
Meanwhile, look at the way Kaepernick was treated. We have short memories...
Chris Ulm 2 years ago
I know. Is kneeling during the anthem a violation of the Flag Code? Yes. But so is wearing the American flag on a football helmet, which all NFL players do, or carrying a flag horizontally, which happens at multiple NFL games a year. People aren’t offended by those, or by Chiefs fans changing the words to the national anthem to “the land of the brave and the home of the Chiefs”. And anyways, none of those things are illegal.
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Mark (it/urgh) 2 years ago
"Imagine a top athlete today doing this." This was posted a long time after Kaepernick was vilified and slandered for doing the exact same thing. We never learn.
What do you think about these acts of courage? Are they inspiring? Are they fascinating? Do they provoke discussions about virtues? If so, then 21st Century Socrates is doing his job right.
#22
PunnyPanda 2 years ago
But she's only concerned for the rights of ethnic Burmese. She fine with the murderous persecution of minority tribes in the North by her own military in recent years.
#23
Ixanga Cancun 2 years ago
Gandhi had feet of clay. He firmly believed in the caste system, just not untouchability."These being my views I am opposed to all those who are out to destroy the caste system.”
Khall Khall 2 years ago
Yeah. He did a lot of good for a lot of people but...he was kind of a sketchy dude in a lot of ways too.
#24
Multa Nocte 2 years ago
Sorry, but not quite in the same league as the others, not to mention her statements about her beliefs regarding human sexuality.
François Bouzigues 2 years ago
She wrote an instant classic and funded a women rape and abuse center in Edimburgh.
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Boootifull Unicorn 2 years ago
Personally, I don't think that J.K.Rowling deserves to be on this list, because while she wrote a fantastic set of books, she does have some harmful views on the trans community. I could include any number of people on this list if we're going by good writing and having the money to provide for charity's.
Binky Melnik 2 years ago
But look at the post: it has “-20” points as f this writing. It didn’t really make the list, butBP chose a weird number which caused her to make the list. Had they stopped at 23, she wouldn’t be here. Reddit certainly doesn’t approve of her inclusion.
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Elizabeth Brown 2 years ago
If you are born male, you can identify with your gender as being female. Your sex would still be male. People who menstrate would be people with the sex of female, while typically people who would call themselves a woman are people with the gender of female. As hard as it is for someone born as female to make it, being trans is even harder (at least in today's society where I live). It is important to remember everything women have fought for over the years, but LGBT has their own share of struggles. One of them is people refusing to acknowledge them on the same basis as everything else. "Trans women are erasing the struggles of women over centuries" is the same energy as "I want to erase the struggles of trans women", just more nicely worded. Oh, and the whole Blaire White comment? Tbh I don't know who she is. But she doesn't speak for all trans women, nor do her followers. She might even be a lovely person, but that alone doesn't mean that JKR is cool with trans or vice versa
BarkingSquirell 2 years ago
She is no hero. Her public statements have proved her to be an intolerant, hateful woman. A rich one, unfortunately.
WayoftheStarPrincess 2 years ago
I'd say her funding transphobic groups and spreads her hate speech everywhere negates any good she has ever done.
Fun Fan 2 years ago
Her stories are good. Her person is another story. I'm starting to worry about not to reach the point of books-burning .....
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CatScratchFever 2 years ago
People here need to calm down and stop with the bandwagon, JKR stands up for women's rights and children's rights, she is not hated by everyone who is trans, go look up Blaire White if you don't believe me, not all transwomen are ideologists, not all transwomen are unaware or unsympathetic to the problems women face and why there is concern about women's spaces, women's sports, you might not be aware but in Scotland there have been serious attacks on young women and children by people from the trans community in fact the controversy here is so great that the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was forced to resign over housing a transwomen convicted of rape in a woman's prison, before you get on your high horse of course I know not all transwomen are rapists, but you cannot deny or of course you can there are genuine fears about safety for vulnerable women & children it is nothing to do with hatred or bigotry you do you, but be mindful of the concerns of others.
Kathleen McGann 2 years ago
Nicola Sturgeon resigned over corruption allegations, not anything to do with the trans community.
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What do you think ?
Multa Nocte 2 years ago
There were a few people in this list whose lives weren't actually as described above.
Sapna Sarfare 2 years ago
Read up three names.. Dr Anandibai Joshi and Mahatma & Savitribai Phule... The first is India's first woman doctor... her story is inspirational. The Phule couple started the first girl's school in India and paved the way for women's education..
J 2 years ago
How silly to compile a post of things that Allen Packard already knew.
Load More Replies... Multa Nocte 2 years ago
There were a few people in this list whose lives weren't actually as described above.
Sapna Sarfare 2 years ago
Read up three names.. Dr Anandibai Joshi and Mahatma & Savitribai Phule... The first is India's first woman doctor... her story is inspirational. The Phule couple started the first girl's school in India and paved the way for women's education..
J 2 years ago
How silly to compile a post of things that Allen Packard already knew.
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