Good intentions -- how much do they mean to you?

[Edwardo Piet]

To me good intentions mean an awful lot. There are so many shitty people in this world and it means the world to me when people mean well. And some people go far beyond good intentions in that they are just such incredibly compassionate and empathetic people. It all means so much to me. When I know someone cares and they show it, it makes me smile. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts

[Excited Penguin]

I don't know how to politely respond to this thread without sounding sarcastic.

[robvalue]

I agree. It's one of the most beautiful and uplifting things I can experience. Especially when I'm depressed and thinking of all the horror in the world, it makes it that little bit easier to cope when I see genuine kindness, whatever the result. Especially kindness that gets and expects nothing in return.

[brewer]

Good intentions/actions with no forethought are not always good. This should not stop the act but it may temper it.

xtians that "god bless me" have good intentions. xtians that "god bless me" knowing that I'm an atheist, not so good.

[Chad32]

I heard that the road to hell was paved with them.

Good intentions are fine, but they can cause people to do horrible things. They think they're helping, even though they're not, which allows them to sleep easy at night while they hurt other people.

[Edwardo Piet]

The message I'm getting from this is that good intentions are of course better than bad intentions. But if they are ever used to excuse negative behavior that probably devalues them. Would that be fair to say do you think?

[c172]

I'm not one to say "the road to hell was paved with good intentions" (though I like the saying). But I put much more weight on good actions. And one of the best such actions is listening. Asking that person what you can do for them instead of just insisting on doing something specific because good intentions.

[c172]

I heard that the road to hell was paved with them.

Good intentions are fine, but they can cause people to do horrible things. They think they're helping, even though they're not, which allows them to sleep easy at night while they hurt other people.

Pretty much nailed it, I think (though I kind of responded before reading the thread).

[CapnAwesome]

I hate to sound like a dick, but they mean very little to me. If someone has good intentions but bad results, the results are the same. Almost everybody has good intentions, almost everybody thinks they are good people. Whether or not they actually are is different.

[The Grand Nudger]

All the good intentions in the world won't make a poor outcome a good one.  All the bad intentions in the world won't make a good outcome a poor one.  I'd take a villain that accidentally betters the lives of the people around them over a do-gooder who can't. Similarly, I wouldn't mind living in a better world chock full of assholes, measured by result rather than intent. I -already- live in a world chock full of assholes, positively bursting with good intentions.