The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

The Golden Rule

All major religions and many cultures and societies had/have a “Golden Rule“, more often invoked in spirit rather than in practice. The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them. It is sometimes called an ethics of reciprocity, meaning that you should reciprocate to others how you would like them to treat you (not necessarily how they actually treat you). Various expressions of this rule can be found in the tenets of most religions and creeds through the ages. Indeed, many religious scholars have commented:

“…numerous studies show that it (Golden Rule) has been endorsed in all of the major and most minor religions.”
- Neil Duxbury

“The golden rule is shared by virtually all the world’s religions.”
- Jeffrey Wattles

Interestingly, Jeffrey Wattles calls it “The principle of the practice of the family of God.” which sounds like a Hindu Sanskrit phrase meaning “The World Is One Family”.

Some of the variations of the Golden Rule are:

“That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another.”
- Ancient Egyptian Papyrus

“Whatever is disagreeable to yourself, do not do unto others.”
- Ancient Persia Zoroastrianism

“Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing.”
- Ancient Greece, Thales

“Treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you.”
- Ancient Rome, Seneca the Younger

“Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.”
- China, Confucius

“One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self. This, in brief, is the rule of dharma. Other behavior is due to selfish desires.”
 - Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism basic principles of the cosmos

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”
-   Judaism, Leviticus 19:18

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
- Christianity, Jesus, Luke 6:31

“Do unto all men as you would wish to have done unto you; reject for others what you would reject for yourself.”
- Hadith, Islam

Thus, the question is, why is the Golden Rule often ignored by many who profess its merits?

One of the many reasons for ignoring the Golden Rule is that Obsessive Passion or Compartmentalization plays a role in ignoring the Golden Rule. Obsessive passion is when we become so focused on a goal or so caught up in what we are doing that we ignore almost everything except the goal and process. While in the throes of obsessive passion, the activity overpowers the person, and a sense of self-control is lost, such as the inability to cease the activity that causes harm, feelings of guilt, shame, or burnout, which often results in violations of the Golden Rule. Compartmentalization is a form of psychological defense mechanism in which thoughts and feelings that seem to conflict are kept separated or isolated from each other in the mind. When we engage in compartmentalization, we often put the harm that we may do into a compartment and then ignore the compartment, as it is too uncomfortable to think about. This is often justified by our belief that we are doing the greater good for ourselves, our family, or society. This obsessive passion or compartmentalization can be in both our personal and work lives. In this obsessive passion or compartmentalization, we often are unaware that we may be violating The Golden Rule. When the harm arises from our obsessive passion or compartmentalization, we often justify ourselves with the excuse of “I didn’t mean to …”. However, good intentions or unintended consequences are not a valid excuse for harmful words or deeds. The Golden Rule applies to both intended and unintended consequences in our words and deeds.

Another reason that The Golden Rule is often not followed is that of human nature to indulge in the Seven Deadly Sins of pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. Indulging in any one of these seven deadly sins allows one to ignore the plight of another as you pursue your individual deadly sin. These Seven Deadly Sins are the sins of self-centeredness, and self-centeredness does not consider the impact of our behavior on others. Thus, we often violate the Golden Rule when we indulge in a deadly sin.

However, the most serious reason for violating the Golden Rule is evil—the evil of a person or persons’ trying to impose their will upon another person or persons. An evil that always causes harm, destruction, or misfortune upon others. The violation of a person's Natural Rights is a type of evil. Most wars throughout human history are of this type of evil of trying to impose someone’s will upon another person or persons. Sometimes, wars are just if they are fought for the purpose of eradicating evil, but these wars are few and far between, and it can be difficult to determine if it is just or unjust. Many social injustices are a result of this type of evil of trying to impose someone’s will upon another person or persons. In all these evils, the evildoers and their supporters are violating the Golden Rule.

In America, we have tried to guard against this evil by recognizing the Natural, Constitutional, and Civil Rights of all individuals and instituting Freedoms, Liberties, Equalities, and Equal Justice for All. While we may not have always succeeded, we have tried and will continue to try to guard against this evil.

Trying to obey the Golden Rule is very difficult. You need to be consciously and consistently aware of the Golden Rule in all your behavior, and you need to craft your words and deeds with the Golden Rule in mind. While this is very difficult, the satisfaction of doing so is very psychologically rewarding. Consequently, by following the Golden Rule, you are living a life of morals and ethics. A life that is self-satisfying and well worth living.

Note  - For more quotes on the Golden Rule, I would suggest the webpage on The Golden Rule from the Abrahamic Study Hall.