Does taking life seriously make you a better person?

Well, we have different temperaments. So, basically, the way we better ourselves in this life, is approached in a different way. Some people think they are better people by being bookish because they want to attain a level of knowledge. Some just want to make people laugh around them because for them being a better person means making one person feel good in their presence. It really depends on your parameters. But say, if we base it on the Quran, I'm sure, only a particular group of people would be so-called 'getting there.'

Having good intentions in whatever you do, makes you a good person

Well I think your friend is right :D .. A person who don't take his life seriously is careless about his surrounding. He don't care what others will think of him so he never tries to change himself. On the other hand, someone who is trying to understand life better by reading books and learning through other people's experience, is much much better.

I think it depends on your lifestyle. If you're easy with not taking life seriously then why to take it then? If you think that you want more guts and learning, try to wrestle with your life. Be greedy then. :S

Well Usama, it all depends. It depends on the manner in which you take life seriously, and the sort of books that you read as well as the purpose you read them for.
Someone who takes even the smallest of things in life very seriously in a negative way will not exactly be a good person and comparatively, someone who reads a lot of books to learn from them and apply what he has learned to himself, would be a better person.
In contrast, someone who learns things from life itself rather than books and applies his knowledge to his life will be a better person than someone who is indulged into books all the time but doesn't gain practically useful knowledge or doesn't apply his gained knowledge to his life.
To sum things up, this is my outlook on becoming a better person: Take life seriously in a way that you learn from every experience that you come across (that includes the experience of reading books)...also observe experiences of others and learn from them...view things not just from your perspective but that of others too, as well as a neutral perspective, putting yourself out of your own shoes.

If you try to make your life better than u will .. it totally depends on yourself ... ! people read and forget and some ppl dont read by get inspired to live a good life ... !

It all depends on your end goal. Everyone takes it seriously, but some cannot hide it.

There's a time to be serious and a time to laugh it off. A balance between the two is the key to a good life.

Having good intentions in doing everything makes you a better person.

YES,
Because life is very short.

it depend on how you take the definition of been a goood person ....everyone hve different ideas and thoughts ...and as affection is more than perfection....