# What's your alignment? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474 "2012-02-10T23:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/81 "2012-02-12T21:40:09Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I am sufficiently undefined by laws (aka what Other People Think) that I dismiss your typology (naturally!). > > I am neither Neutral Good nor Chaotic Good; Neutral Good is closer but I do have laws and precepts that guide me in addition to my own immediate conscience and sense of what feels “right”; but those laws and precepts are my OWN, developed and maintained over time within my own head, and they are not the laws and precepts of the world surrounding me. Which would be Chaotic —Good Neutral or Evil based on whether you’re more interested in yourself, in everyone or in other people’s welfare. From your other posts, I think that you’re probably Chaotic Neutral- a fan of freedom for all, for everyone to do their thing, be that for good, evil or neither. You have a moral compass which guides _you_, but you’re not concerned with making others follow it. You’re not out to hurt anyone, but if they try to change you or limit your freedom, you’ll punch 'em in the nose and not feel guilty that they’re hurt by it. 🙂 “Chaotic” doesn’t mean no morals or “laws” that you live by - but it means that they’re not those codified and shared by the culture at large. Here, maybe this will help: > [@](#): > > Freedom means a different thing to characters of these three alignments. For the chaotic neutral character, freedom means the freedom for all beings to pursue their own self-interest without interference from authority. The chaotic neutral character realizes that there will be chances for both conflict and cooperation, but they will always seek to advance their own self-interest. They believe in the right of all beings to do what they themselves are doing (namely, pursuing self-interest). If others are advanced while the chaotic neutral character is advancing himself, this is fine. If others are diminished when he is pursuing his own interest, so be it. He will help people that help him and harm people that harm him. The chaotic good character believes that freedom means the freedom for each individual to find his own way to promote happiness and prosperity in the world. He feels that the best way to promote goodness and weal for all is to provide the most freedom. The chaotic good character wants everyone to enjoy the same right to pursue happiness as freely as possible. Chaotic evil characters believe that freedom means the freedom to take whatever action is necessary to advance the self. In the eyes of the chaotic evil character, an important way of maximizing personal freedom is to minimize the opportunity for others to pursue their own self-interest. Thus, the chaotic evil character wants maximum freedom for himself, but minimum freedom and power for everyone else. The chaotic neutral character wants maximum freedom for everyone to pursue their own ends (for good or ill). The chaotic good character wants maximum freedom for everyone to find happiness and prosperity. > **[The Alignment System - Chaotic Good](http://easydamus.com/chaoticgood.html)** > > The most comprehensive description of the Dungeons and Dragons alignment system available online. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/82 "2012-02-13T01:05:38Z")
Lawful Evil. I’m ok with that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/83 "2012-02-13T02:13:57Z")
Neutral to Neutral Good. I’m not changeable enough to be Chaotic anything, and I’m not self-centered enough for Evil anything, but I don’t believe in law or tradition much and tend to look at both sides of issues. ---
**Author:** ![Allthegood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Allthegood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allthegood)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/84 "2012-02-13T02:48:35Z")
Chaotic Neutral. This explains a lot. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/85 "2012-02-13T13:31:48Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > After considerable discussion my friends came to the conclusion that I’m Lawful Neutral, which is a riot to me. Yeah, how the heck? That would mean you follow the law regardless of whether it is right or wrong. I’d have had you pegged as chaotic good by your posts on here. BTW, I’m pretty sure I’m neutral good with chaotic tendencies. The big chaotic thing is thinking that good people sometimes need to fight back. Oh, and I agree that selfishness is not in and of itself evil: that should be neutral. Selfishness at the expense of others is evil. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/86 "2012-02-13T13:48:56Z")
> [@iftheresaway](#): > > I tried to take the alignment quiz, but the questions were so vague I gave up three questions in (after spending 5 minutes or so mentally arguing with them, natch). I’m going for Neutral Good. I couldn’t manage the quiz either - it seemed to assume that you had a place in an extended family, and you couldn’t just walk out and leave it behind. There isn’t any ‘family elder’ I’ve been remotely answerable to since I moved out of my father’s house for the last time at age 23. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/87 "2012-02-13T15:34:18Z")
I’m Lawful Good. I actually think this is an interesting exercise because it helps to understand our own motivations and others. Unfortunately, I think it’s difficult to identify one’s alignment directly in some cases, particulary in a case like mine where I have a strong set of rules and desire for order, as one would expect with a lawful alignment, but often run into conflict with authority. Instead, I think it’s sometimes easiest to identify an alignment by the greatest struggle that a particular alignment encounters. In the case Lawful Good, that struggle arises in a dilemma when the “good” thing and the “lawful” thing are not the same or at least not so obviously the same . For an NG or LN alignment, their choices are obvious in such a situation, but I often take a considerable amount of time trying to decide the appropriate action. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/88 "2012-02-15T12:03:15Z")
The test linked put me as Neutral, though I would likely say Neutral Good. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/89 "2012-02-15T13:06:15Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Lawful Good. I don’t cross the street unless the light is for me. Neither do I. Lawful Good. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/90 "2012-02-15T13:38:09Z")
Chaotic good . . . but not if I’m having a bad day. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/91 "2012-02-15T14:09:56Z")
Neutral. I don’t need a test to tell me that. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/92 "2012-02-15T15:56:41Z")
I read the descriptions and picked Lawful Neutral, then did the test and was told that I was in fact Lawful Neutral 🙂 What can I say? I like rules and order, as long as the rules aren’t coming from a strong morality (which funnily enough the wiki entry addressed by saying LNs put their own moral beliefs second to the desire to live within an orderly system, and that they probably have a well-structured sense of ethics, which I agree describes me perfectly). ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/93 "2012-02-15T17:40:41Z")
Neutral, with slight Lawful tendencies. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/94 "2012-02-15T19:02:11Z")
I would love to be able to say I’m Neutral Good, but my selfish tendencies (especially in traffic) slide me right back to True Neutral territory. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/95 "2012-02-15T19:29:09Z")
Lawful evil. I took a poll around my office and that was the consensus. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/96 "2012-02-15T19:52:52Z")
I would say that I am guided by my conscience and sense of morals to be good, but that I have little respect for laws or authority. I’m more than happy to speak against someone who is wrong even if they are in a position of leadership. I thought this was pretty much the definition of chaotic good, but it matches better with the description of neutral good as given in the OP: [quote=“Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan, post:1, topic:612474”] [li] **Neutral Good** is guided by his conscience and typically acts altruistically, without regard for or against Lawful precepts.[/li][/QUOTE] The quiz also said I was neutral good, so I guess it’s official. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/97 "2012-02-15T20:00:54Z")
The test says Lawful Neutral, which seems reasonable to me. I answered “Lawful Good” on the survey, but I’d say I definitely fall somewhere between Good/Neutral on that axis. I’m a lawyer who entered the profession because I wanted to serve the commonweal and found the traditions of Law attractive, but I’ve grown more cynical in practice. That’s basically Lawful Good verging towards Neutral in a nutshell. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/98 "2012-02-15T20:05:09Z")
Chaotic Neutral, both in RL and when I used to do RPGs (though sometimes I’d do chaotic evil, if I had a DM that would keep alignment secret…I loved being the psycho killer in the group and no one would know as I offed members of the party :p) -XT ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/99 "2018-08-22T13:43:01Z")
RESURRECTED, rather than duplicated. An action to minimize the incidence of duplicate threads is arguably a lawful act, but it’s an old enough thread that I can assert an element of chaos. Neutral Good Former Lawful Good. Moved toward Neutral after I had kids and realized laws tend to codify behavior, thereby reducing the need for free-though and judgment. Ultimately justice suffers as the price of upholding the law. Now my kids are grown, I have come to see laws primarily as a tools of the wealthy used for controlling the proletariat. I am moving very close to “chaotic” in this regard now, but I still believe some system needs to be in place to address the objectively disruptive & destructive elements of our population. I think the system we have sucks, but I think it should be replaced by something better rather than abandoned altogether. Of course, that has only to do with formal, codified governmental law. As for unwritten social law, I am more centrist. I don’t cheat, but otherwise I don’t see a lot of benefit in traditions and I don’t think (much) less anyone who does. So, I’m solid Good 90-95%–the needs of the many and all that. Maybe about 75% Chaotic, but not committed to full-on libertarianism. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474/100 "2018-08-22T15:30:20Z")
Neutral says test. That’s what I leaned to before I took it as well. I do have strong feelings about certain things, but they don’t necessarily manifest themselves outwardly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-alignment/612474.md?page=6)