Friday, May 15, 2009

The ethic of reciprocity


It's known as "The Golden Rule".

Today I found a marvelous page entitled "18 Practical Tips for Living the Golden Rule" and thought I'd pass it on. Here are three of them that I particularly like:

Practice empathy. Make it a habit to try to place yourself in the shoes of another person. Any person. Loved ones, co-workers, people you meet on the street. Really try to understand, to the extent that you can, what it is like to be them, what they are going through, and why they do what they do.
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Stop criticism. We all have a tendency to criticize others, whether it’s people we know or people we see on television. However, ask yourself if you would like to be criticized in that person’s situation. The answer is almost always “no”. So hold back your criticism, and instead learn to interact with others in a positive way.
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Don’t control others. It’s also rare that people want to be controlled. Trust me. So don’t do it. This is a difficult thing, especially if we are conditioned to control people. But when you get the urge to control, put yourself in that person’s shoes. You would want freedom and autonomy and trust, wouldn’t you? Give that to others then.
The other tips are good as well.

4 comments:

  1. Lovely! Thank you for linking to this.

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  2. Along these lines, in _the Message_ a contemporary Bible translation: "Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them not against them." (Philippians 2:4-5)

    I've been saying this to myself when I greet people. It's v. different from "Be friendly." Make it clear you're on their side. I've found it's had an impact.

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  3. I love this link and shared it on Facebook. It is so good! Thank you, Ellie.

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  4. thanks ellie! i liked all the reminders except the one about tying a string on your finger - i think i'd just end up cutting off my circulation :(

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