It's true that perhaps in tackling our own problems, we have forgotten or perhaps lost that key ingredient that makes us do things not for the sake of others but for ourselves. In this way, if we keep remembering the Islamic or the Christian way of living, we can actually start rediscovering ourselves and start acting on the basic principle of "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others."

Thank you for these great beads of wisdom with which we can make our lives worthwhile! God bless you!

Too bad our leaders don't read this. There is no more eloquent argument against torture as official US government policy than this

As a Jew, it is not suprising that you would equate the proverbs of Confucius with the sayings of Jesus. Jesus said, "DO to others as you would have others do to you." Not because of who you are, but because of who they are. Rabbi Paul said (as he was taught by Jesus), "Esteem others better than yourself." Far higher moral characteristics than, "Sir, I will treat you as a gentleman – not because you're one, but because I'm one." You do it because you love others as you love yourself.

Too bad they do not teach this in schools, instead that life is the survival of the fittest.

The presumptions of rational behavior and that of cultural agreement between individuals involved may impact results. One cannot assume full development of the white matter of the frontal lobe. Perhaps one needs to have a mini-moral development scale for common use.

This principle of virtue ethics can be taken one step further - we don't respond to those who kill other human beings by killing them. Not because they might not deserve it, but simply because responding to wrong conduct with the same wrong conduct ends in moral failure for all parties involved. Responding to wrong behavior with right behavior is the only way human beings and human societies can ever become fully human.

The Golden Rule would be a nice treat during the death of parent when the siblings all want their "Final Report Card".

Just a couple weeks ago, my mother was in ICU (she pulled through) when my father passed away (long term illness, but early death), and the children all started wanting control. The secrecy was amazing. I shared my due diligence, my files, my already seasoned learning curve, and nothing of such value is coming my way.

I think about how my father is looking down from Heaven and wishes his death brought the gift of a loving family, so I practice The Golden Rule. My siblings apparently don't get it.

The greatest respect we can give our parents is The Golden Rule, practiced while they are alive, and after they are gone.

Death is a great lesson in love.

Our natural instinct wish is to take revenge, but there is more peace in this selfless road of life. Thanks so much. I wish to go this path

I really do my very best to lead my life this way -- it's healthier and it feels right. But every once in a while someone does come along that just gets to me and I, unfortunately do stick it right back to them. No excuses -- I am a work in progress.

The Buddist philosophy sums it up all very nicely with:

With respect, one dispels arrogance; with compassion, one has no anger and hatred; in harmony, one resolves conflicts and violence; and with truthfulness, one nurtures no hypocrisy and deceit.

I've been a substitute guidance counselor for surrounding school districts & couldn't believe the number of students who have never heard of the "Golden Rule," so I am sharing this information/lesson with them at any opportunity. Because of the church/state laws, I cannot outright tie this rule to any religious beliefs/base, so it was great for myself to learn from your article that it started with Confucius.
I'll continue to use this in my classroom guidance lessons without fear of crossing political lines.
Thanks!

I am sorry to disagree with a school guidence counselor but Confucius was a religious and political leader! The Golden Rule is still very much tied to religious belief systems. It was religious belief systems which came up with the Golden Rule idea to start with. The secular rule was the Hammurabi Rule: A tooth for a tooth and a eye for a eye, and even this was initiated by religious concerns. And just for the record, we would not even have schools if it were not for religion. The concept for schools was started by religious bodies as a means of educating their people in the religion which was then assumed by secular groups as a good idea which works.

The piece as usual is very fine item. But the practicality of being honest to a known cheat! Are we not rewarding evil? There is need for sanction and reward. If you do good, you should expect good, but doing evil and expecting good is encouraging evils to multiply.

This rule is biblical in its importance and intended application. The Lord, in his book of Matthew, describes the relationship. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." In a word, what you do for those in need, you do for the Lord!

This is an "after the fact" comment but I just want to say that I am an elementary guidance counselor and I do teach the Golden Rule without repercussions. It's part of our school pledge which is recited every day. I also teach respect and caring for all people, not just the ones you like or the ones who treat you right.

From the perspective of Jesus, you are absolutely right that the "Golden Rule" means more than reciprocity in the sense of exchange or enlightened self interest. Jesus, as in so many instances drawing on the wisdom of his Jewish heritage, took the two elements of the "Golden Rule": Love God and Love your neighbor from separate places in the Old Testament. What is unique is that he equated them, made them one. The second is like the first. For him, the other beyond self interest enlightened or otherwise is that it is impossible to love god and not love your neighbor.

GREAT article!

I too, am an elementary school counselor and teach the Golden Rule to students starting in kindergarten. A teacher asked me after a recent lesson, "Do you think they get it?" Based upon the responses to my questions and their comments during discussions, it is apparent that the children "got it." 5-6 year olds are human beings, and not all will remember to employ the Golden Rule, which makes it ever-so-important that adults consistently model the concept, day-in and day-out.