Difference between "I was being careless" and "I was careless"

Is there any significant difference between saying

I am/was being adj. (careless, busy, etc)...

[treating "am/was" as an auxiliary verb]

and

I am/was adj. (careless, busy, etc)...

Personally, I consider adding the word being a bit fussy but is there actually an effect of doing so?

Solution 1:

The use of "being" implies a reference to a specific event or context.

In my youth, I was careless.

The above makes sense, but the following does not:

In my youth, I was being careless.

The same applies to your second example. "I am being careless" implies carelessness in reference to a specific situation or act, whereas "I am careless" implies a more general observation, perhaps to ones character.

Solution 2:

Being in this case means behaving, which could be translated to behaving carelessly. Your second example describes a more like a habitual action.

He is being selfish. This means that he is behaving selfishly at this period of time.

He is selfish. This means that he is a selfish person.

Solution 3:

• I am careless means it your habit to be careless.

• I am being careless means you are being careless with whatever you are doing right now (e.g., carrying a cup full of coffee, handling a case - police case, etc.). It doesn't guarantee that you are always careless.

• I was careless means your were careless with something (or everything; it's ambiguous) in the past.

• I was being careless means you were being careless with something (or everything; it's ambiguous) in the past.