Rant: The Golden Rule
 

I try my best to live life by the golden rule – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” That means that if you hurt someone, you should expect to be hurt back. It means that in order to be happy, you should try to make others as happy as you can. Take from that what you can, be it sponsoring a needy child or just giving change to a homeless person on the sidewalk. There’s so much hurt and pain in the world that’s caused by man – so much suffering because of mans inhumanity towards man.

There’s too much hurt to ignore – which is why we created charities, anti-terror organizations, and why we protest animal cruelty, slave trade, slave labour. It’s why abortion is such a big issue. No one really knows what they’re doing here. We all try to muddle along on fragments of advice we remember, our salary, and our wits – however short on supply we are on all those. We try to do the best we can with what we’ve got.

I’m not going to say that if we try, we can make the world a better place. I am going to try, though. It’s a tired, old circumstance – good versus evil. Though, we all have different views on evil – and as much as I hate to say it, religion has applied a positive effect equal to the negative it has created. Many people kill in the name of religion – even today the fires of war are far from dying down because one faction would deny the other faction their faith as they believe that it’s wrong – but those of each faction believe in a moral and just society – it’s ironic.

There’s so much that man thinks is impossible to do – wipe out disease, hunger, poverty… It would be possible if we didn’t spend billions of dollars on market research to find out which scent to apply to Play-Doh so that kids will pester their mothers for it at the Toy Aisle in the local supermarket. If we didn’t spend hundreds of dollars each month on fast food. If we gave freely to others without worrying about ourselves, we’d find a way. I know that sounds very cheesy – and with traces of communism, but it’s true. If we lived for one another instead of ourselves, then we could make a great society.

It’s as simple as giving a homeless person a sandwich. It’s as simple as taking a friend out shopping, and paying for it all the way through. It’s as simple as recommending someone for a job. There’s so many simple things we can do for one another, but don’t. Some don’t because they don’t see the reward. Some don’t because they’re too involved in themselves. But if you gave a homeless man a sandwich, you’d feel ten times better than had you been starving and eaten said sandwich. There’s a good feeling that comes from being good to other people. There’s something to be said about that.

In my society, I wish everything was perfect, and everyone was nice to each other. I wish everyone helped everyone, and little boys helped old ladies across the street. I wish that no matter what happened, you could call a friend and have them tell you “it’s alright.” And believe them. I wish for Eden, but it makes me sad because I know it won’t happen In my lifetime. In a weird way, I don’t want it to – because suffering helps us to appreciate the beauty of happiness, and the little freedoms in our life. Some suffering can be a beautiful suffering – but there’s something to be said about excess.

If you need me, I’ll be over here, distributing sandwiches.

Did you mean to put this in the Discussion forum? I'm gonna figure yes.

I dunno if this is a philosophy thread or a thread with a thin veil of philosophy covering a whole lot of Religion Thread. Eh, I guess we'll see which direction it goes.

I'll have to disagree with your interpretation of the golden rule. If you hurt someone you shouldn't expect, but rather want to be hurt yourself. You do to others what you want them to do to you. If you expect the universe to automatically pay you back for what you do you're thinking of karma.

Your thesis is perfectly logical however. We, humanity, can accomplish more by working together than we can working against each other. The mathematics of altruism are simple: But in order to work together we have to trust each other; trust that the next guy brings you your daily bread when you are too busy bringing his. That is the problem.

I actually wanted this to go into the creativity forum - I write a lot of this type of stuff on my DA page, but I never really thought any of it the basis for discussion. That way, others can look at it and slander it openly and I don't hear it. (=3)

I guess what I'm thinking of is a cross atwixt Karma and the Rule - but I feel that they're the same. If you do something to someone, expect the same in return. It's not always the person you do something for to repay you - I think that it's a general "if you do something nice, than nice things will come to you."

Huh - I told Fifth that I wasn't ready to discuss my work, yet here I am discussing it. That's.... I don't know what that is.

Quoted for emphasis to my case.

The golden rule is a nice thing to try to live by, but it can never work in the long run. Because, there will always be at least one person who is sitting off to the side. Who realizes that "If I just don't help others, my position will be that much stronger." Like in the quote above, if one guy keeps his bread, suddenly he has twice as much to eat.

Is it nice to think that you would only act as you want others to act towards you? It is, but it's also naive to think that everyone is operating by this principle. More often than not, the highest priority is oneself over others. As such, the option of inconveniencing someone else is always more attractive than inconveniencing yourself, due to the fact that you don't want to have to suffer, especially for a stranger who isn't willing to suffer for you.

Most of the problems with the world now are because the people on top enjoy their lifestyles, and - more importantly - are afraid of losing them. That's why you have research groups on which variety of Play-Doh smells better rather than sending food to Africa. Because while we may see living equally as something which should be striven towards, they see it as a fall.

I admire people who do unto others, I really do. But I never could, because I just don't see the point. So long as there's that one guy who knows he can live a great life by doing nothing, it just won't work out the way it should.

Agreed.

Another aspect of what you are saying is that if you do, then you can expect. I don't agree with that and see it as a form of selfishness in itself, if you truly want that "Golden Rule" to be followed, it needs to be followed for selflessness' sake, not with the thought that you are doing good so good will come to you. I would make it "give freely of yourself without expecting return, and expect to get screwed over." Arrogant and expectant selflessness and humility are some of the biggest issues I have with a lot of so called do-gooders. If you are doing something like giving out sandwiches, without being all "I'm so good look at me," and/or "Oh goody I'll do this good deed and be rewarded for it," then you have my admiration. Otherwise I scorn your silly ideals and flagrant assholery at the expense of another man's pride. /rant

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

- Mahatma Ghandi

This is the problem. That big corporations see something like helping people a fall, while getting more money is the goal. Too many people are concerned with themselves, and not with others.

If a "do-gooder" actually expects something in return, they're not a do-gooder - they're just trying to satisfy their own ends.

As much as I hate to say it, that's a do-gooder. Nice guys actually do finish last - but they lead a good, happy life.

So you're saying purported nice guys are all really happy about finishing last all the time? I have to be honest, I suspect this is not the case.

Being more honest, I kind of have to admit that the 'golden rule' approach to morality has never really struck me as especially worthwhile, as is the case with most standards that seem designed to condemn a person to a life of frustrated, helpless ineffectuality.

I guess what I'm getting at is, morality shorn of any consideration of one's own interests seems like a good way to end up starving in a gutter.

I gave a homeless person money for booze once. Does that count?

Well, yeah - but still... it's kinda like "Butters," from South Park. Check this out. Don't know if that made the point I was trying to make, but at least I said something.

Congrats?

Certainly it's a pipe dream to think that all people could possibly live by some such mindset for any extended period of time. But, I don't think it has to be that way. The system does not fall apart and the idea isn't worthless if there are a couple of assholes leeching off of everyone else's kindness. As long as most people live in a strongly selfless manner, then I think it will work out pretty well and you could safely say, "mission accomplished."

Ayup... traces of communism.