the "golden rule"--from guidance to survival blueprint?

[weareunity]

Hi all.

Pondering. ---Are we seeing the "golden rule" --behave toward others as you you would wish others to behave toward you--(same common guidance though expressed in varying forms in many beliefs/cultures.)

Are we seeing this offered guidance becoming more and more like a survival recipe?

And are we also seeing "others" becoming not only other persons but also also all life forms and associated supporting circumstances/conditions?

Cheers. X

[Molearner]

Originally Posted by weareunity

Are we seeing this offered guidance becoming more and more like a survival recipe?


Cheers. X

Yes, to the extent that love is life…….

[weareunity]

As an observation--

It appears that we live--and have ourselves created--in circumstances which require us to be cooperative in order to survive.

Yet by and large we persist in practising and materially rewarding behaviour which inevitably creates division and conflict. ---personal gain of varying nature at the expense of others.

Why is this? Why do we persist in doing so?

Cheers.X

[lazydullard]

science of spirituality will one day shed light on the subject of materialism.

i believe we have a hard time trusting, especially in a shame culture and concerns about the environment.

[Starman]

The human species still has remnants of the dark ages embedded in them. Some are stuck in a mental conditioning which does not see, what I do to you I do to myself. Competition not to better ourselves but to destroy others and be “king of the fictitious mountain” prevails. Tribal identity is still prevalent and persistent in the “us“ and “them“ mentality.

The plastic fantastic of modern life places materialism above love, and some people think that the giving of material gifts is love. At Christmas time it seems Santa Claus has become more popular than Jesus Christ. While I do feel the human race is evolving the remnants of past brutal human civilizations still dominate many.

Nonetheless, I trust the essence of life, pure spirit, to eventually unfold us into a true union of being; where the realization impacts all to see that they are us and we are them. More then just empathy but a deep connection of oneness.

[Native spirit]

I would have to agree with Starman


Namaste

[FallingLeaves]

Originally Posted by weareunity

Why is this? Why do we persist in doing so?

well i guess if societies valued cooperation more than they valued preening... then we would have people fighting to be the best at cooperating instead of preening. Do you think that would be better?

[weareunity]

Hi FL.

Can we really presume that because some people choose to fight to be the best at preening, then those who choose to act cooperatively would similarly fight to be the best at cooperating?

The motivations driving the ambitions of those pursuing the two activities you speak of seem to me to be of such opposite nature.

Those who genuinely seek to promote cooperation know --I think--that each contribution may not of itself add up to much, but together with the contributions of many many others will be considerable. We can all do a little within our various capabilities yet not be deterred because it is only a little, and together shall be able to do much. No competition hereabouts.

Cheers.X

[FallingLeaves]

well of course people who like cooperating would feel that way....

but lately I've been questioning the wisdom of just blindly thinking that just because it seems good to us that means it would seem good to absolutely everyone... personally I think there are those that will always love being at odds with others... fighting to win, scrapping, and so on.... are we really just to discard them just because we don't like what they like?

i know what i feel like when society pushes me to be what I'm not so I'm reluctant to be a part of just switching society around in a way that makes me happy but puts the burden of feeling awful on someone else...

personally i think there has gotta be something other than continually trying to remake society in our own image at the expense of others who don't see it the same way... all this trying to manipulate it in a way that it seems to support our own desires just isn't going to work. Not in the long term.

That is the way I see it, anyway.

[ajay00]

Originally Posted by weareunity

Pondering. ---Are we seeing the "golden rule" --behave toward others as you you would wish others to behave toward you--(same common guidance though expressed in varying forms in many beliefs/cultures.)

Yes, the Golden rule has been taught in diverse cultures.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule

Originally Posted by weareunity

Are we seeing this offered guidance becoming more and more like a survival recipe?

I see it as more as a framework providing moral criteria to be referred to during times of decision making or relationship management.

It could have served as a survival guide during early times to ensure a sense of justice and fairness in communities for the sake of cohesion.

Originally Posted by weareunity

And are we also seeing "others" becoming not only other persons but also also all life forms and associated supporting circumstances/conditions?

"A man is truly ethical only when he obeys the compulsion to help all life which he is able to assist, and shrinks from injuring anything that lives."
~ Albert Schweitzer

I personally agree with Schweitzer but also feel that this may be too high a benchmark for some. One obviously must consider one's capabilities and limitations in this regard.