Do Unto Others …

Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

This is often called the Golden Rule. I have heard many interpretations of this wisdom.

You should treat others nicely, because it is good to do so. Have a sweet spirit. Treat people with dignity. I agree 100%!

There is another reason to do unto others as you would have them do unto you, though. It has nothing to do with being nice for the sake of being nice. It has everything to do with good logic.

One reason to do good things to others is that if you don’t, they may just return the favour in the end.

I remember once that I embarrassed somebody in front of a crowd. He had stated something, and I said it wasn’t right. I cited references that proved that I was right. And I was right – absolutely right.

Now, being right and doing right can be different things, and this was a prime example.

A few years later, after I had left the association, a colleague of mine confided that this man never had anything good to say about me. Had I said nothing or even heaped praise on this individual, the story might have been much different.

What made matters worse though was the fact that I was unaware of his damage to my reputation. When we met we were cordial. We shared a laugh or two with the group. Privately, he showed a different side.

While treating people kindly is good in itself is commendable, another reason you try to stay positive with people is so they will be less likely to bite you, especially since they can often harm you without your knowledge.

While the effects of my error were serious, I was glad I was able to learn from this experience.