What is a "Good Person?"

Often we hear about how person X is a "Good Person" because they "mean well," or are known for "doing good things." Leaving aside the discussion of what 'to do good' might mean, I'm trying to think about whether or not a person's actions or intentions are what actually allows them to possess the quality "good".

Is it really enough to want to do good? How about actually doing good? 

 

I figure that the good person, is the person who has not only the intention to do good, but actually does good. I.e. a good person is one who wants to possess the quality of 'good,' enough so that they plan out good actions, and follow through with them.

Often I find myself confused at the idea that a person can be something without actually intending to be that thing. Instead, I find that the clarification that one does as the X person might do. Where X is the quality "good," or "bad," etc... But in order to actually be good, or bad, or what have you, one must make the decision to be as such.

An example:

A man (Lets call him A) walks in to a super market that is being discretely held up. I.e. the cashier (B) has a gun to her back, being held by a man (C) who is forcing B to put money in a bag. A trips and falls in to C, and inadvertantly knocks C out. B exposes C's gun, and calls the cops. 

Is A a hero? B will probably exclaim that her life was saved by A, and other people might proclaim that A is a hero. I'd say A isn't a hero. He acted as a hero in the sense that he saved B, but he never actually decided to save B, for he didn't even know B was in danger. 

So what about one who plans to do good?

Lets imagine a person (A) who consistenly thinks "good" thoughts. I.e. He continually says that he would like to donate some time to a charity organization in some town, and maybe he says he will adopt sick animals, etc...  What if A never does these things? If one accepts that idea that merely 'planning to do good' is enough, then one will find they might be supporting liars. 

So what about the person who is found often to be doing good things? 

This thought is a bit tricky, in my opinion. For, it is possible, I think, to find a person who may be accidently found to have done good. I.e. consider man A in the above example. He saved someones life, but it was inadvertant, and while it could be considered a "good event," because man A never actually planned to do this action, he can't really be given the credit. This idea might even get more interesting if one considers that it is possible that some random human doing action A, eleven days (lets say) before some crime inhibiting the actions of some "bad person" B and then being called a hero. 

Example:

I have a habit of locking my doors when I get out of my car. I do it to an almost ridiculous degree sometimes. For example, lets say I forget my wallet: I'll turn the car off, get out, lock the door, and run inside, grab my wallet, run outside, then unlock the door and get back in to my car, and be on my way. Consider a situation in which I can be proclaimed a hero by simply locking my door one day, going on vacation for 15 days, and within 11 days of my vacation such a series of events leads to the saving of a life. For example, because I locked my door, and on a day where no other cars are parked on the street, my neighbor with an anger problem was thus unable to get in my car, and utilize it to run down his cheating girlfriend.  My actions led to the saving of a life, but because I had no plans to save a life (I was just acting out of habit) I can't be called a hero fairly.  Heck, I'm not even certain it is fair to say that I acted as a hero did (does a hero habitually lock his doors?).