We should all aspire to be good citizens of our country, and of the world.The concept of citizenship was born in the city-states of Ancient Greece; specifically, in Athens. Greek education at the time was designed to instruct citizens in the values, intellectual frameworks, and habits-of-mind required to be free men. That is, to actively participate in the political system that shaped their lives and guaranteed their freedoms.
Today, being a citizen means that you’re part of a group, and that you have legal and political rights within that group. It brings with it both privileges and obligations. I would argue that we each have a duty, or an obligation, to be good citizens. After all, a nation is only as healthy as its individual citizens.Nonetheless, in modern times, people generally aren’t educated on how to be good citizens. Therefore, I asked myself the following questions: “What does it mean to be a good citizen?”, and, “How do you become a good citizen?” In this post I’m going to share with you the answers that I came up with.
Below you’ll find 10 ways to be a good citizen.
1. A Good Citizen is Patriotic. Patriotism is having and showing devotion for your country. It means having an attachment to certain national cultural values and showing critical loyalty to your nation. Some ways to show patriotism include the following:
Brush up on your country’s history.
Read up on social studies.
Obey the rule of law.
Pay your taxes.
Learn the national anthem.
Fly your country’s flag.
Don’t litter or engage in acts of vandalism that deface your environment.
Travel around your country and talk to your fellow citizens.
Cheer for your country’s team in sports events (World Cup, I’m looking at you).
At the same time, keep in mind that patriotism should not be confused with nationalism. Nationalism is thinking of your nation as being superior to others, and worthy of dominance. Patriots are proud of their country, but they understand that other people are also rightly proud of theirs.
Look at the words of a church hymn written in 1934 by the American Lloyd Stone to the melody of Finlandia by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius: This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
A good citizen loves their country—a good citizen is a patriot.
2. Model the Personal Qualities of Good Citizens. The personal qualities of a good citizen include the following:
Honesty – tell the truth.
Integrity – be morally upright.
Responsibility – be accountable for yourself and your actions.
Respectfulness – treat others how you want to be treated.
Compassion – show fellowship with your compatriots who are down on their luck by volunteering and/or making donations to charities.
Kindness – be friendly.
Tolerance – be tolerant of other races and religions.
Courtesy – be considerate of others.
Self-Discipline – have self-control and cultivate the ability to follow through on what you say you’re going to do.
Moral Courage – stand up for what you consider to be wrong and defend those who cannot defend themselves.
Love of Justice – be fair and ask that others be so as well.
Imagine what your country would be like if all its citizens strived to achieve these personal qualities. Start by adopting them yourself.
There are two ways in which you can develop the characteristics listed above. In my post on How to Develop Your Character – Benjamin Franklin’s Thirteen Virtues, I explain that at the age of twenty Benjamin Franklin resolved to always do right and avoid any wrongdoing.
The way in which he planned to achieve this was by creating a list of 13 virtues. He also created a plan for developing those virtues. I recommend you do
3. Be a Productive Member of Society.
A good citizen contributes to their nation by being productive. They’re productive employees, business owners, artists, public servants, caregivers, and so on. Good citizens share their skills, talents, and abilities with others. They make a positive contribution to their nation.
4. Be Active In Your Community. A good citizen is active in their community. They participate in the social life of their city or town, and they look for ways to make their communities a better place to live. That is, if they see a problem in their community they look for ways to solve it.