The Not So Golden Rule

I am willing to wager that you’ve heard of the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, treat others the way you would wish to be treated. This “ethic of reciprocity” has been expressed in many moral maxims and religious and spiritual traditions. It has even become a part of many formal educational systems. As with many commonly accepted directives and norms, I hadn’t put much thought into Golden Rule until fairly recently. After all, most of us don’t question commonly accepted beliefs. In contemplating its significance, however, I was somewhat surprised to realize that I do not agree with the Golden Rule at all! Though I believe that there is an element of common humanity in each of us, we are also all unique individuals with different needs, desires and circumstances. What would be best for me to do unto someone else may not at all be what is in my best interest. For instance, it might be best for a parent to change their baby’s diaper and burp them after meals. But having or expecting the baby to do the same for her parents is clearly ludicrous! This is obviously a rather absurd example intended to illustrate the point, but there are also numerous subtle examples of this in practice. Can you think of a time when you did something for somebody that you would have loved or appreciated only to have the other person respond negatively? Their reaction might have been due to the fact that you projected what...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Ethics & Morality Friends Habits Happiness Mindfulness Self-Help Compassion Empathy Source Type: blogs