Five hundred years before the birth of Christ, Confucius was asked, “Is there one word that may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?”
He answered, “Reciprocity. What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” This basic principle, now called the Golden Rule, can be found in every major religion and philosophy.
Although many people evoke one version or another of this rule, it’s often misused. You see, the Golden Rule is not primarily a rule of enlightened self-interest. Sure, people are more likely to be nice to you if you’re nice to them, but the moral center of this principle is lost if you simply view it as a rule of exchange: Do unto others so they will do unto you. Do unto others as they have done unto you. Do unto others before they do unto you.
The core of the Golden Rule is a moral obligation to treat others ethically for their sake, not ours, even if it’s better than the way they treat us. Therefore, we should be honest to liars, fair to the unjust, kind to cruel people.
Why? Certainly not because it’s advantageous, but because it’s right. And because the way we treat others is about who we are, not who they are. It’s like the man who broke off an argument that had descended into name-calling by saying, “Sir, I will treat you as a gentleman – not because you are one, but because I am one.”
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
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I love your articles, but some of my frineds are not on Facebook or twitter. Is there any other way you could let us share your articles? Maybe simply by emailing them?
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Wonderful, inspiring!
Leviticus 19:18. Written about 1000 years before Confuscious. “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”
That is how I live my life but I do think of it as behavior that benefits me, not that I will receive something from others but in the way that I feel good about myself. Do good so you will feel good and be good. So simple. Eudaemonism, not a bad way to live your life.
God said, “the least you do to your brothers you do unto me”. anything that we do to our brothers whether good or bad, we do to god. the bible also says that whatever we do , do with all our heart and do things for the Lord and not for men. these are the words that guide me in my journey thru life. if we do things for god, how can we ever do evil things to mankind.