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Description
When asked if someone follows the golden rule, many people respond that they do and then explain how they treat others how they are treated by them, being nice to those who are nice to them and mean to those who are mean to them. But that's not the golden rule at all.

The golden rule says to treat others not how they treat you but how you want them to treat you. Kindness spreads like karma. Many, if not most, people treat others how they are treated rather than how they want to be treated, so being kind spreads directly that way. Others see it and are impacted by it and simply being kind improves our mood and outlook. It's also a great way to avoid conflicts and stress.

To many people, it seems inconceivable to treat someone how they themselves would want to be treated. It doesn't seem "fair" or what someone else "deserves". But no one is perfect and so everyone will do something to hurt someone else, whether intentional or unintentional. We all deserve punishment for hurting others, but we should instead give forgiveness so we will be forgiven.

But let's imagine we were only nice to people who are nice to us. We have a select group of friends who earn our respect. If someone is rude to us, we're rude back. If they then become angry at our rudeness, we become angry back. After all, they deserved it. Then they start insulting us, so we insult them back. Then they gather their friends against us, so we gather our friends against them. Soon we have a war over someone being rude.

Now imagine someone witnessed our behavior. They form a negative opinion of us. We try to explain that the other person started it, but it's too late to change their initial impression. Our friends turn against us as they blame us or they abandon us because of the conflict. We feel even more bitter and angry. We blame the other person who started it, but it doesn't help because the hurt is inside us and things keep getting worse as we discover the feelings aren't coming from outside of us but from within us.

Treating others how you want to be treated can prevent all this. Many people think being nice is like being someone's doormat, but it's really the opposite. It means, no matter how someone else treats you, you will treat them how you want to be treated. You are above the fray. It's exactly like forgiveness. Not forgiving someone doesn't hurt them. It hurts you. But forgiving heals everyone, you included.

Responding to anger with anger is actually the real weakness because it means their actions and emotions have complete control over you. You're totally helpless to their negativity. In essence, if you give into the back and forth of negativity, you are a slave.

Only love can set you free.

Description
When asked if someone follows the golden rule, many people respond that they do and then explain how they treat others how they are treated by them, being nice to those who are nice to them and mean to those who are mean to them. But that's not the golden rule at all.

The golden rule says to treat others not how they treat you but how you want them to treat you. Kindness spreads like karma. Many, if not most, people treat others how they are treated rather than how they want to be treated, so being kind spreads directly that way. Others see it and are impacted by it and simply being kind improves our mood and outlook. It's also a great way to avoid conflicts and stress.

To many people, it seems inconceivable to treat someone how they themselves would want to be treated. It doesn't seem "fair" or what someone else "deserves". But no one is perfect and so everyone will do something to hurt someone else, whether intentional or unintentional. We all deserve punishment for hurting others, but we should instead give forgiveness so we will be forgiven.

But let's imagine we were only nice to people who are nice to us. We have a select group of friends who earn our respect. If someone is rude to us, we're rude back. If they then become angry at our rudeness, we become angry back. After all, they deserved it. Then they start insulting us, so we insult them back. Then they gather their friends against us, so we gather our friends against them. Soon we have a war over someone being rude.

Now imagine someone witnessed our behavior. They form a negative opinion of us. We try to explain that the other person started it, but it's too late to change their initial impression. Our friends turn against us as they blame us or they abandon us because of the conflict. We feel even more bitter and angry. We blame the other person who started it, but it doesn't help because the hurt is inside us and things keep getting worse as we discover the feelings aren't coming from outside of us but from within us.

Treating others how you want to be treated can prevent all this. Many people think being nice is like being someone's doormat, but it's really the opposite. It means, no matter how someone else treats you, you will treat them how you want to be treated. You are above the fray. It's exactly like forgiveness. Not forgiving someone doesn't hurt them. It hurts you. But forgiving heals everyone, you included.

Responding to anger with anger is actually the real weakness because it means their actions and emotions have complete control over you. You're totally helpless to their negativity. In essence, if you give into the back and forth of negativity, you are a slave.

Only love can set you free.