Jesus said, "... do to others what you would have them do to you ..." (Matthew 7:12, NIV) This is known as The Golden Rule [1].
How can we comply with The Golden Rule if we're all different, if we all have different tastes, likes and dislikes? The answer is that it depends on whether we focus The Golden Rule on ourselves or on others.
If we focus The Golden Rule on ourselves, then one person gains and the other person loses. However, if we focus The Golden Rule on others, understanding it to mean seek to benefit others as you would have them seek to benefit you, then we'd connect in mutual bestowal and everybody would gain.
Here's an example: If I like sour things and not sweet things, and if you like sweet things and not sour things, then what should I give you?
- If I Make The Golden Rule About Benefiting Myself:
- And I Give You Something Sweet:
- Then you'd like it because you like sweet things.
- However, I like sour things, I wouldn't want you to give me something sweet. I wouldn't be complying with The Golden Rule because I'd be doing to you what I wouldn't have you do to me. I'd be giving you something sweet when I'd want you to give me something sour. But you'd be happy.
- If I Give You Something Sour:
- Then you wouldn't like it because you don't like sour things.
- However, I like sour things and I'd want you to give me something sour. I'd be complying with The Golden Rule because I'd be doing to you what I'd have you do to me. I'd be giving you something sour when I'd want you to give me something sour. But you wouldn't be happy.
- If I Make The Golden Rule About Benefiting Others:
- And I Give You Something Sweet:
- Then I'd be seeking to benefit you. I'd be giving you something sweet knowing that you like sweet things. I'd be complying with The Golden Rule because I'd be doing to you what I'd have you do to me. I'd want you to seek to benefit me by giving me something sour knowing that I like sour things. In this way, we'd both be complying with The Golden Rule.
- If I Give You Something Sour:
- I wouldn't be seeking to benefit you. I wouldn't be complying with The Golden Rule. To that end, I wouldn't give you something sour.
In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves. If we did this, we'd always comply with The Golden Rule.
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References:
- Golden Rule. www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Aug 30, 2014.
Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.
