From a young age, most of us have heard the saying ¨treat others the way you want to be treated.¨ That saying is so much more than that- its a complete lifestyle .  Deciding to put other people before yourself is the root of this rule of life. 

​

I think it is important to note that this rule is at the foundation of many religions and cultures. Like many philosophies, there is the origin within the religions such as Christianity. One of the greatest commandments is to love your neighbor as yourself. I believe that this ground law is a simplified, unbiased toward any religion, that should be the foundation of our lives. 

​

Another key point of this rule is that if we do good unto others and they similarly, the world we live in becomes better likewise. There is comfort in having done something good to someone else. There is also a direct correlation between that step to becoming a nicer person,  which helps your community, and in turn relates to how good the world is. 

​

Act towards others in the same way that you would wish to be treated in the same situation. Even if the way someone reacted to your situation isn't the way you would, learn from that  so that you can be more equipped to help someone else in the same or similar situation. 

​

Along with this rule is the analogy that we all live in the same world and we drink from the same spring- if that spring is polluted we will not be satisfied and cannot flourish. The same thing relates to our emotional health which can be greatly improved through this philosophy. Everything effects everything and by following and living out this rule, we can effect lots of things. 

​

People´s mood and emotions tend to rub off on the people around them. If someone is happy and does not hold it back, their friends will likely notice and will feel happy for that person and so on. However, the same is the case for negative emotions. The difference is that with the Golden Rule, people won´t leave someone´s sadness in the dust. With this rule, we are taught to care about other people in deep, meaningful ways and that is supposed to be through any and every situation. 

​

The root of this rule is respect:

You cannot have effective relationships if you expect so much out of the other person, but are not giving anything to them. Relationships are two-sided for a reason and both sides need to be active. 

​

The form in which I decided to put others in front of myself is in my relationships. Relationships are one of the easiest ways to show someone you care for them because you are with that person or engaging with that person so often in your life. Whether that relationship is with your family, friends, or teachers, it is imperative that you respect the other person.

​

A crucial part of understanding how to treat others respectfully and fairly is understanding that we are all different. Some of us like to hear advice and be told, point blank, how we need to do better next time. Others prefer to just have someone to hear your story and be there in a comforting aspect. 

​

What a beautiful way to be there for someone—to try to ascertain what they value in a friendship, and then provide it, without question or judgment. I’m not suggesting we enable people when they’re compromising their emotional well being by giving in to unhealthy requests. I’m suggesting we can make the world a better place by meeting people where they are, instead of assuming that’s where we are. It’s recognizing when someone wants space, even if you’d prefer to be surrounded by people in a similar situation. It’s realizing when someone wants vocal appreciation, even if you’d feel uncomfortable with that kind of attention. It’s moving beyond empathy to understanding, and building stronger relationships in the process.

​

We are so similar, and yet so different. Sometimes connection is seeing ourselves in each other. Sometimes it’s stepping outside ourselves and honoring what we see.

​

We all need support among each other through the highs and lows of life. If we all agree and actively live out this rule, we can practically agree and safely assume that we will have people that will treat us with compassion.