Think for a moment about the person, Jesus of Nazareth, to whom these words are accredited. Jesus started his career as a carpenter. He ‘hammered’ home the idea that it is just plain, good common sense to treat others the way you wish to be treated yourself. If you don’t want to be cheated, don’t cheat. if you don’t want to be lied to, don’t lie to others. And so on.

The Golden Rule offers a pattern, or a plan, that we can memorize and follow and build upon. To treat others as you wish to be treated is a plan that works wonderfully from all angles, on all sides, and for all concerned.

There must be something powerfully effective in the Golden Rule because its guidance, with slightly different phrasing, is found in every major religion and regarded as one of the basic principles of life.

Brahmanism: This is the sum of duty: do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done unto you.
Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find harmful.
Confucianism: Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you.
Hindu: The true role of life is to guard and do by the things of others as they do on their own.
Islam: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.
Judaism: Whatever is hurtful to yourself, do not to your fellowman. That is the whole of the law, the rest is merely commentary.
Persian: Do as you would be done by.
Taoism: Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.