“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
This seems obvious in some extreme cases: You don’t cause physical harm to someone and hope they’ll do the same. But what about something less obvious, like if the person crossed a certain boundary or indirectly caused you or someone else harm? The easy thing to do, is to cross them back or to brush it off, which is something I often see. But if the person in the wrong truly believes they are doing the right thing, then nothing will change and their wrongful actions will continue. It might take extra effort, but try to gain perspective and truly understand how that person feels and then try to teach them the error of their ways. And always be open to seeing the other side as well. You’ll be amazed at what you can learn.
“Speak to and of others how you would like to be spoken to, and about”
I speak very little to new or unfamiliar faces, and I don’t necessarily want people to do the same to me. I’d just rather listen and pick through their brain and thoughts. I don’t have much to add to this except to apply another popular quote: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say it.” Talk to someone about your life, not gossip about somebody else’s because you disapprove of them.
“Feel about others how you would have them feel about you”
We tend to hold on to negative feelings much easier than positive ones, which I guess makes sense since negative actions seem to leave a bigger imprint in our minds. But holding onto these harsh and negative feelings will only make it that much harder to trust and love people you come across. So… just don’t do it.
“Think of others the way you would like to be thought of”
For any of this to work, the mentality has to change and adapt. You have to think about the good in people instead of the bad. You have to refrain from thinking, or speaking pityingly of someone , especially if you feel you are better off than they are. Thinking of yourself as superior is not a beneficial way of thinking. It creates an illusion of happiness and success that may not accurately portray where your life is actually at. Personally, this was a mental obstacle for me. I always compared myself to others and allowed that judgement to dictate how successful or happy I felt, which is not a healthy approach. Given or received, if you would like to help someone less fortunate, do it from love, and not pity.
Change doesn’t occur in just a matter of a day, this is a mantra that should be applied daily. If you’re someone who is looking to surround yourself with these kinds of people, you need to apply this quote for your personal benefit. You can’t always rely on another person to reciprocate the same morals or values that you hold dear. If you’re not making the effort, then you’re setting yourself up for failure and sadness. The only factor you have 100% control over in this scenario is yourself. So then everyday, just focus on perfecting one virtue at a time. If done correctly, you’ll start noticing the goodness in the people surrounding you and it’ll be a new era for human relations.
