The Golden Rule and Why It is Still Relevant Today
A few simple words that can have the most profound meaning: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
In other words, treat others as you want to be treated – all ways and always.
Why is this so hard for some people to understand?
Watching videos from the streets of New York where cameras are positioned to catch and watch the action, it’s shocking to witness how uncouth antics such as kicking and punching indiscriminately to intentionally hurt others physically, even children, displays a lack of self-control.
Do these people who physically lash out at others feel a lack of love? Or do they desire acceptance from all of society but have no clue how to behave? Were they abandoned as children into a system fraught with abject poverty, horrendous living conditions, or a lack of discipline in every area of their life? Or maybe life just proved to be one big disappointment to them.
Bad behavior happens in every walk of life and socioeconomic experiences.
People watching will demonstrate all sorts of behaviors – some pleasing, some appalling, and some just downright head scratching perplexing. Help for those who randomly attack and hurt others is not always available or even wanted in some situations which can be discouraging for every person involved. How do we recognize these offenders?
Faces that are involved in behaviors that are rude and socially unacceptable can look angry with contorted, even discolored features. Not pretty. Recognizing aggressive behavior allows you to sidestep and avoid situations that can be threatening.
Sad faces display downturned mouths, downcast eyes, and an inability to smile. We need to walk in love and smiling at another can be the best thing that has happened to the person who needs love.
Our minds and the thoughts we create shape our very existence. “Thoughts in mind create after their kind” is a quote from Mike Costello, PhD, Long Beach, California, who studied Unity teachings. Those thoughts produce only two emotions – either love or fear and it’s evident that there hasn’t been enough love in the world to stop the fear.
Our lives could be dedicated to unselfish service to the world. One that echoes kindness and love to everyone we meet. Challenging, especially when someone cuts you off in traffic, or sleights you in a most unattractive way that hurts your feelings or makes you bad and wrong in a most unforgiving, unflattering way.
Overcoming fear, living in love makes treating others as you want to be treated real easy.