The Golden Rule

Not so long ago, the Golden Rule was seen as a guiding principle of right human relations.

It is a very simple basic way of determining behavior toward one another. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is simple. And, it provides a litmus test of what is right and fair in a myriad of situations. Because we all share the experience of our humanity, this rule has guided behavior from schoolyards to the halls of Congress for hundreds of years.

This simple yet profound moral compass pervaded decisions of determining right from wrong in a way that affirmed our unity. Embedded within that quiet determination were principles of responsibility for our interactions that presumed an interrelationship of a community. Inherent in posing the question at a decision-making juncture were absolute values that pervaded our thoughts and determined our interactions with one another down to very mundane and uncomplicated actions.

The very posing of this rule in determining our behavior toward another presumes a valuing of the other on a level of importance that is equal to our importance in life. This very act of valuing the life and experience of another on a par with our own already begins to correct the underlying problem we see in so many of the issues in our modern society –issues that seem to be insurmountable.

As the power of thought and intention are recognized, we find ourselves able to shift our paradigm. We return to considering that this ancient basic rule has far-reaching consequences in how we interact with others and with the world. I was taught that this rule, this “Golden Rule,” comes to us from the “Code of Hammurabi,” from time as ancient as that of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Is it possible that what was once kindergarten wisdom has been lost to our society, to both our danger and our detriment? Take five minutes to consider the world in which we currently find ourselves living, and the many little ways life would be vastly different if those in positions of power and authority put their decisions to this test.

Our Kids Understand The Golden Rule

Consider your family members, your neighbors, your coworkers, your employees, your customers; and think about how your life would be different and changed if, in those regular interactions, you made your decisions based on treating others as you want to be treated. Although the Golden Rule seems both straightforward and simplistic, if we as a society and a world would return to living this ancient wisdom it would have far-reaching consequences, righting much of what seems to be wrong in our modern times.

The principles of right action toward one another are often
simple to see but are not simple to do.
~ Genevieve Gerard

They require a valuing of others and a code of behavior that transcends much of what has in our modern times been elevated to acceptable behavior. Look at all of the damage that greed in business is doing to our world. The fact that there is even a business principle called planned obsolescence speaks to the ways our society has strayed from the logical results of living by the Golden Rule. The medical crisis, the housing crisis, the foreclosure crisis, the education crisis, and the unemployment crisis are just a few of our social problems that would be approached differently if the time-tested evaluations of the Golden Rule were applied.

The moral justifications that are moving away from this simple principle have created a slippery slope. Embracing this Rule once again will lay the groundwork for much of what must change in our society if we are going to thrive and survive into a future in which any of us wishes to live. History has demonstrated time and time again that selfishness and greed do not stop themselves. People must take a stand. They must choose. There is right action in the world and laws that help to maintain balance. This old rule, this Golden Rule, has within it the truth and wisdom to help us transform the world.

To bring the Golden Rule back into the collective thought-form of society has great power. In a civilized society, a principle of how it is right and more importantly how it is wrong to treat others is critical to maintain.

Since the Golden Rule has fallen away from being a standard of behavior that people demand and expect from one another, we have seen a rise in selfishness and greed that is both shameful and shocking. Somehow “looking out for number one” has developed into “it doesn’t matter what I do as long as I get what I want.”

This shift in our countries and our society’s moral compass has led to public servants serving their personal interests instead of considering the greater good of society as a whole. As I write these words, I remember as a child I was taught the quote below.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil
is for good men to do nothing.
~ Edmund Burke

As truth has become subverted by “spin doctors” selfishness and greed have been dressed up and disguised as success. Somehow those who were entrusted as the guardians of our society have fallen prey to the lies that what is good for business is unfettered freedom, without consideration of how the practices of the business affect the society as a whole. No longer does Wall Street believe that “what is good for Main Street is good for Wall Street.” Somehow, there is the illusion being propagated that what is good for Wall Street is good for the world.

We can look around us and see the disastrous results of this kind of governance. People have lost faith and confidence that the government serves the greater good. Special interests and the interests of only a small percent (the often discussed top 1%) seem to have bought and paid for those who were elected and designed to be the guardians of the people.

As I consider a whole array of society’s dangers from the stripping of the planet of the rainforests to the science of global warming, I realize that the failure to teach this ancient moral code of the Golden Rule has left our world in a dangerous place.

You can look around you and see the disastrous results of our civilization having forgotten this simple moral test. I know that I could create a long list of dangers and problems that seem to stem from this failure to consider the consequences of destroying the nature that has sustained humanity since time immemorial.

Today, as I consider the many problems that cry out for a solution I ask that this ancient simple moral code is brought back into the collective consciousness and conscience.

I ask you to “do unto others as you would like them to do to and for you” in your daily life and interactions with others. I ask that you use the Golden Rule as a standard you demand and expect from those who lead our society.

I call upon every member of Congress, every member of the Senate, local and national, every judge, and every leader of business and industry, to consider their decisions based upon this simple principle of “The Golden Rule” and become agents of the transformation our world requires.

Namaste,

Genevieve

Hand-Picked Posts You Might Also Like

The Will to Good
Open Yourself to being Guided by Kindness
A Celebration of Unity
What Would it Be Like if People Everywhere Practiced Kindness
Recommended Meditation

The Gift of Unconditional Love Meditation
Open Your Heart To What Love Truly Is

Last updated 10-16-2019

About the author:
Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened Soul awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of your soul.”

Read more details…

Genevieve has a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and for over thirty years has worked one-on-one with people who were recovering from devastating disabilities and chronic pain. Teaching the mastery of the mind-body relationship she was one of the early professionals trained in biofeedback, visualization, imagery, and meditation as essential techniques to help people heal their bodies, heal their emotions, heal their minds, and heal their lives.

Genevieve’s work demonstrates what she knows so well, “It is spiritual connectedness that triggers physical healing and emotional and mental well-being.” Helping people, like you, tap into your higher-self is the power she wields to guide you to heal and transform your life.

Now, with this understanding, she combines the effective techniques she developed over decades teaching mind-body mastery along with her extensive experience in meditation and spiritual development to create a synthesis of mind-body-spirit that delivers complete healing and opens the door to unlimited personal growth and an encounter with your Soul.

In addition to her current life guidance coaching sessions, and workshops performed around the world, Genevieve has produced more than 20+ guided meditations in the last eight years that are available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and her website.

It is her vision that through your experience with the techniques of awareness, visualization, and meditation, the love of your Soul will touch and transform your life through her writings and products. It is her sincere desire that the potential of a life of joy and celebration that seems to elude so many people can become a reality for you, now and forever.

Browse her life story and read the Touch of the Soul that changed her world. To contact Genevieve, visit her keep in touch page.

The Golden Rule Read More »