Thought For The Day
The Golden Rule is, I believe, one of the more common applications of good manners. Or is it?
If I give you a new set of metric wrenches for your birthday because I want them, is that an example of practicing the Golden Rule? No, I don't think so, and yet, is that not exactly what we do quite often to those around us. We measure happiness by what we want and rarely consider the feelings, needs and interests of others.
If you think I'm wrong about this, let me ask you a question. Are you more interested in what other people think about you, how you look, what you've done or in them and their accomplishments?
If you are going to the grocery store to get something for a dinner do you select something that you are sure others would enjoy with no regard for your own preferences? Seems to me that if I like it everyone will, right?
This is a participatory blog today. Do you do unto others as you would have them do unto you?
©Herb Ratliff, June 28, 2012, All Rights Reserved
You are so right about gifts. I'm guilty of that. And it reminds me of the time my late-ex surprised me with hockey skates for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteBut when it comes to shopping for dinner guests, I am just the opposite. For Thanksgiving, I serve turkey for the traditionalists and salmon for my daughter and others who eat fish but not meat. I carefully ensure the vegetarians in the group are offered all the same dishes as everyone else by not using things like chicken broth in the stuffing and baking the stuffing in a pan instead of in the bird, offering two types of gravy, etc. Meals like this can be complicated, but well worth the trouble when you see everyone enjoying themselves.
I think the Golden Rule of doing to others as you would have them do unto you is practiced quite often. The Platinum Rule, much more difficult and less practiced, is to do unto others as they want to be done unto. I have a ways to go to reach the Platinum standard. And...I hope not to run into any masochists practicing the Golden Rule...
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