The one about the Golden Rule

“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Anyone who is even moderately educated knows that this “Golden Rule” is very, very old. It goes back so far, nobody knows who said it first. The christ cults of earlier centuries put it into the mouth of the Jesus character of the gospels, but it predates the christ mythology by several millennia. This does not mean, however, that the saying is of no value. Its sheer age from time unknown attests to its worth. Almost all religions have had or have some version of it. There is something about it that inspires human beings to a nobler life that takes into consideration the effects of their behavior on others.

What troubles me most about my own life is that I am inconsistent in practicing this virtue, and this fact is pointed out to me fairly regularly, for which I am both embarrassed and grateful. But why has Mankind created and passed on this saying for so many, many centuries if it is so easily flouted? The answer speaks volumes to the basic goodness of human nature: We recognize it as the highest possible good. Christianism is wrong when it starts from the premise that human beings are evil by nature. Anyone's experience will show that people actually lean toward kindness and compassion, all things being equal. Of course, not all things are equal. The rich are rarely arrested as thieves. Those from peaceful upbringings hardly ever go on killing sprees. The attractive seldom want for romantic satisfaction.

Life is not guided by a benevolent creator, that seems clear. If there is a creator, I'd say the extent of its concern rests solely in allowing life to exist at all. It certainly seems unconcerned with the quality of that life. However, human beings are concerned with the quality of life. We can improve life or diminish it by sheer will. And we recognize that we can improve our quality of life more when we work in consideration of others. We know that we reap what we sow. Bad behavior often brings bad behavior back on us. Good behavior usually produces good behavior toward us. And yet, it's hard to say that our human compassion is merely for the selfish desire to get back what we give. Look at your life. Aren't you kind when there is sometimes little expectation of kindness in return? Don't you sacrifice a little more than you can spare of time, money, resources? It isn't a social experiment; it's a time-tested truism about human life.

At this time of year, it's not uncommon to reflect on the Golden Rule. Christmas may be a religious observance in the strictest sense, but it's culturally ingrained as well, even among many non-christians. Gift giving, though often over-emphasized, is still the expression of benevolence toward others. Graciously receiving gifts, the same. Don't we seem more social this time of year? Church gatherings, of course, but there are also office parties and pageants and plays and family reunions as well as the exhilaration of shopping amid the vibrant crowds. The Golden Rule is not really a rule to follow as much as it is a reminder of what we human beings really are as we struggle to make all things be equal.