Being a Good Person:
The Quiet Strength of True Leaders, Warriors, and Badasses

Imagine a room full of superheroes sitting around, trying to lift Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir.

One by one, they give it a shot.

Most can’t even budge it.

But then there’s Steve Rogers—Captain America—who grabs the handle, and to Thor’s surprise, it shifts, just a little.

Thor’s smile falters.

The hammer doesn’t fly into Cap’s hand (that's for later), but it recognizes something in him.

​That scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron says more about the idea of worthiness than most of us ever realize.

It isn’t just about strength or skill.

It’s about character.

Cap is almost worthy—not quite there yet—because he’s too much of a fighter, always looking for the next battle.

He hasn’t yet learned that true leadership, the kind that earns the trust of something as mythical as Mjölnir, is about finding peace, not war.

In that moment, we’re reminded of a timeless truth: strength and skill matter, but they aren’t what define a great person.

Being good—truly good—comes down to something much deeper.

The Labels We Wear and the Stories They Tell

There’s a quote by Søren Kierkegaard that’s stuck with me over the years:

Think about that for a second.

How often do we cling to labels—warrior, leader, badass—and let them define us?

At first, those labels can be empowering.

They push us to rise to a challenge, to become better versions of ourselves.

• A warrior fights against injustice.
• A leader steps up when others shrink back.
• A badass walks their own path, no matter how hard it gets.

But here’s the catch: labels serve us, until they don’t.

It’s easy to get trapped in the label.

To over-identify with being a fighter, and forget that a true warrior knows when not to fight.

To cling to being a leader, and overlook the quiet strength of simply being part of the team.

To be so focused on being a badass that we lose sight of the compassion and humility that truly make someone great.

Here’s the truth: you are more than a label.

You are more than a title.

You are not defined by one identity.

Take Captain America.

He’s not just a fighter; he’s a man trying to do what’s right in a world that’s often wrong.

But it’s his journey—his willingness to evolve—that makes him almost worthy.

The World Is More Connected—and More Divided

The internet promised us connection, and in some ways, it delivered. You can talk to someone halfway across the world in seconds.

You can join communities, find people who share your interests, and learn things your ancestors couldn’t have dreamed of.

And yet, we’ve never felt so disconnected.

Social media pits us against one another.

News outlets amplify divisions.

We’ve become quick to judge, quick to criticize, quick to draw lines in the sand.

It’s so easy to focus on what makes us different: political views, cultural backgrounds, belief systems.

But when you strip away all the noise, what’s left?

We’re all just human.

Years ago, I read The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama.​

In it, he wrote that our similarities far outweigh our differences—if we’re willing to see them.

That idea hit me hard.

Because when you stop looking at the labels, you start seeing the person.

And underneath it all, we’re all operating out of the same core emotions: fear and joy, love and pain, hope and heartbreak.

The question is, are you willing to look beyond the surface?

Curiosity Over Criticism

Picture this: you’re at the gym, rolling on the mat during a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu session.

You’re partnered with someone brand-new.

They don’t know the moves yet.

They’re clumsy, slow, maybe even frustrating to work with.

Your instinct might be to judge. “They’re not cut out for this.”

Or, “Why do I have to waste my time with a beginner?”

But what if you took a different approach?

What if you got curious instead of critical?

Instead of seeing them as a “bad student,” you saw them as someone just starting their journey.

You remembered what it felt like to step onto the mat for the first time, unsure of yourself, fumbling through techniques.

And instead of writing them off, you extended a little grace.

That’s the thing about being a good person—it’s not about big, flashy acts of heroism.

It’s about the small, quiet decisions you make every day.

Choosing curiosity over criticism.

Kindness over judgment.

Connection over division.

What Makes a Good Person?

One of my favorite quotes is this:

(Think Robin (Dick Grayson) as the ward of Bruce Wayne, Batman)

It reminds me that none of us are finished products.

The “bad man” isn’t doomed to stay that way, and the “good man” isn’t perfect.

We’re all students and teachers, learning from one another, growing together.

Being good doesn’t mean being flawless.

It means striving to be better.

It means recognizing that we’re all part of a community that goes beyond tribal lines.

Take Thor’s origin story.

He wasn’t always worthy of Mjolnir.

At first, he was arrogant, reckless, more concerned with proving himself than protecting others.

It wasn’t until he was willing to sacrifice himself—not for glory, but for the good of others—that the hammer deemed him worthy.

That’s the essence of being a good person.

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about choosing to put others before yourself.

To lead with humility and courage.

To walk the line between strength and compassion.

The Power of Connection

Let’s circle back to the superhero scene.

Imagine if those characters—Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner—never set aside their differences to work together.

Imagine if they let their egos and labels get in the way.

The Avengers wouldn’t exist.

That’s the power of connection.

When we stop focusing on what divides us and start looking for common ground, we create something bigger than ourselves.

Think about your own life.

Who’s on your “team”?

Your family, your friends, your coworkers, your mentors?

What would happen if you approached those relationships with more curiosity, more empathy, more willingness to see the good in others?

You're One Open-Hearted Conversation Away

In the end, being a good person isn’t about the labels you wear or the titles you achieve.

It’s about the choices you make, every single day.

It’s about being curious instead of critical, kind instead of judgmental, connected instead of divided.

And yes, it’s about striving for worthiness—not in the sense of proving yourself to others, but in the quiet, steady work of becoming the kind of person who lifts others up.

So the next time you’re tempted to focus on the differences, ask yourself: what do we have in common?

What fear or joy, love or pain, hope or heartbreak connects us?

Because in the end, we’re all part of the same story.

And being a good person?

That’s the role worth playing.

Now go out there.

• Be kind.
• Be curious.
• Be connected.

The world needs more good people.

And maybe, just maybe, you’re one hammer shift away from being truly worthy.