John Steinbeck once wrote that "for the most part people are curious only about themselves." This almost perfectly describes various characters in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor. These characters focus on themselves more than anyone else and form beliefs that they live by, based on them. It is rare to find positive results following a selfish action or belief, and this short story proves it. Therefore, throughout this story, the various characters' self-centered beliefs are met with negative consequences. Red Sammy believes he is one of the few good men left in the world, he also remarks that "a good man is hard to find". (O'Connor). This leads him to trust people more than him because he believes that since he is one of the good men left in the world, no one would intentionally harm him. His wife, however, is not of the same opinion; he believes that "there is not a soul in this green world of God that you can trust." (O'Connor 39). This possible desire to prove his wife wrong, coupled with his self-centered belief that no one would mean him harm, is what drives him to trust strangers. According to him it is a test to see if they are good people; however, it almost always ends with a negative consequence for him. For example, Red Sammy owns "part stucco and part wood gas station and dance hall" (O'Connor 27) called The Tower and was teased by two men because he thought they seemed like decent, responsible people, all because they said they worked at the paper mill and we drove a beat up Chevy truck (O'Connor 36). His self-centered belief that no one will make fun of him causes just that to happen, thus demonstrating that his self-centered belief leads to a negative confusion... middle of paper... of the family, which made her look foolish. because he ended up sitting cross-legged, in a pool of blood, in a ditch, looking up at the sky, smiling: (O'Connor 136-137) an image that will surely haunt him as he lives. Self-centered beliefs caused a lot of pain and, of course, negative consequences for the characters who held them in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” From killing and causing pain because their self-centered belief led them to adopt "no pleasure but meanness" (O'Connor 134) as their life motto, to being chased away from their hard-earned money, negative consequences have followed these holders of self-centered beliefs like a dark cloud. . Fortunately for two characters, their faith did not end with the death of themselves and their loved ones as happened to their grandmother. However, they would all live a better life if they left their self-centered beliefs behind.