What Does Being a Good Citizen Mean?

Citizenship is defined as "the character of an individual viewed as a member of society; behavior in terms of the duties, obligations, and functions of a citizen(Dictionary.com)."

The five most important elements of being a good citizen are Honesty, Compassion, Respect, Responsibility, Courage, and Loyalty.

Image sourced from (Citizens for Global Solutions)

• Honesty-A key factor in being a good citizen is being honest. Honesty's definition is "truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.(Dictionary.com)." Being honest in any enivornment is very important to the success of a goal. If someone is not being honest, then people will not be on the same page as others and in result would hurt any relationship more than benefit.
• Compassion-It is always important to have a sense of compassion for other poeple you are surrounded in any situation. The dictionary definition of compassion is "a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune(Dictionary.com)." Having compassion is important to being a good citizen because you are acknowledging all of your other peers. Compassion comes along with respect, being sincere to someone shows that you are caring for them.
• Respect-Compassion and Respect come hand-in-hand. Respect is defined as "to show regard or consideration for (Dictionary.com)."Respect is necessary because it shows that all work is appreciated for the time and effort that is put in for all. It is important to not make people feel bad, which is what respect does.
• Responsibility-Responsibility is important to citizentship because it is a way to show how you are working. Being responsible means to be on top off your work and not drag others down because of laziness. The dictionary defintion of responsibility is "answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management(Dictionary.com)."
• Courage-Courage is a good assett that a citizen should have because it shows the ability to stand up for what is right. If courage is lacking, people won't take risks which can potentially help their cause. Courage is defined as "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery(Dictionary.com)."
• Loyalty-Being loyal is important to being a good citizen because it shows that you acknowledge the effort others have put in to what you are doing and it shows that you enjoy what you are doing. Loyalty is important to a productive community because it promotes good work and effort. The dicitonary definition is "faithfulness to commitments or obligations(Dictionary.com)."

In order for any society, community, or group to be productive, it is important to keep all these elements of good citizenship in mind. In order to be the best possible citizen one must endorse these elements and lead by example and promote these factors in whatever community they are in.

One notable moment of citizenship I have seen recently is recently in the cafeteria. One day one of my friends had spilled their water a little. This was just a small accident, but another one of my friends offered up help and got napkins and cleaned up the spill. This may seem like a small act of kindness, but it emphasizes respect, compassion, loyalty and responsibility by that friend.