These beautiful and powerful words by Rudyard Kipling apply to either sex, but since women apparently didn't exist in his time, he had to resort to the masculine:
If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
Or for something short and simple, here is a bit of Lao tzu:
by not wanting, there is calm
and the world can straighten itself
in friendship,
prad
Originally posted by MstofDestruction2There are other rukes you can select from :
I was thinking about my future and i was wondering, what is the most important rule to life? In my opion it isn't the Golden Rule.
Please reply,
Mst.ofDestruction
Golden Rule : Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Silver Rule : Don't do unto others as you would not have them do unto you.
Brass Rule : Do unto others as they do unto you.
Iron Rule : Do unto others as you like before they do it to you.
Bullies Rule : Suck up to those above you and abuse those below.
Nepotism Rule : Give precedence in all things to close relatives and do as you like unto others.
Tit for Tat Rule : Cooperate with others at first and then do unto them as they do unto you.
Golden, attributed to Jesus, almost never works, You always end up getting taken advantage of.
Silver was used by Ghandi - oppressed people should not repay violence with violence.
Confucius used the Brass. He said repay kindness with kindness but evil with justice. This is also known as 'an eye for an eye' and can lead to unending escalation of violence.
It has been shown that the Tit for Tat Rule usually works best when dealing with people.
Hmm... the government will care for you, so don't feel like you need to be self responsible... Of course, we're going to need to raise taxes, and we can never lower them or we'll sick the AARP on you because you're taking away from their social security. Oh, and btw, you intolerant homophobic anti-semitic Christian hate mongers who hold the majority? Too bad, we need to appoint more non-elected activist judges who eschew the constitution because Congress obviously doesn't know what its doing passing all those unconstitutional laws.
THAT'S a party line *I* want to subscribe to! (Oh, and btw: What kind of candidate baby has to complain about *every* ad that is made by his competition rather than oh, I don't know, having a platform?) Can you believe the main reason Kerry is being supported is because 'he can beat Bush'? Um. Excuse me? The democrats are voting for a candidate the president of the United States who waffles more than Clinton, not because they believe their candidate represents their beliefs, but that he might hold up well in the polls?
*ACK* I'm sorry, but I suppose the Dems *MUST* resort to attacking Bush for everything Bush does. At least it gets the focus away from oh, I don't know, the issues?
Honestly, do you think someone who has almost as much a detest for military readiness as Clinton is a good leader just because he was a decorated footsoldier? What are we holding on to? Heck, even a General, who would hold more clout didn't make it that far.
I admit the alternative (currently) isn't too much better. I just want my government to stop spending so much money, even on Medicare. I want people to be responsible for themselves, have more control over the money they earn, and abolish the Federal Income Tax, replacing it with Federal Sales tax. (WHY? because it means that all purchases (except for food and medicine and maybe clothes) are equally taxed, at the same rate. It doesn't punish anyone unfairly, and you get all your money up front. If you don't buy stuff, you don't pay taxes. Duh.)
Originally posted by foilThe rule is flawed.
Golden Rule :
" Do unto ( to ) others as you would have them do unto you. "
Tough to argue with.
Should poor people give their money to the rich landowner. What if he doesn't reciprocate?
It would only work if 100% of people adhered. The diversity of human nature being what it is guarantees that the rule fails in practice.
Secondly;
I would strongle advise that Masochists avoid the Golden Rule altogether. 😲
Originally posted by ShallowBlueI think you've missed the point a little. As a simple example, the poor people don't give money to the rich because they woul like money in return, the rich give money to the poor because they'd like to be given money if they were poor. The poor might befriend the rich landlord if he was lonely because they'd like to be befriended if they were lonely.
The rule is flawed.
Should poor people give their money to the rich landowner. What if he doesn't reciprocate?
It would only work if 100% of people adhered. The diversity of human nature being what it is guarantees that the rule fails in practice.
Secondly;
I would strongle advise that Masochists avoid the Golden Rule altogether. 😲
It's not about giving so that you can receive, it's about doing for a person what you'd want someone to do for you if you were in their situation. Admitadly this is oversimplified - I would love someone to make me a bacon sarnie on a Sunday morning but I don't think Jewish friends would be too pleased, so you've got to use a bit of empathy also.
Originally posted by belgianfreakI think it is you that has missed my point.
I think you've missed the point a little. As a simple example, the poor people don't give money to the rich because they woul like money in return, the rich give money to the poor because they'd like to be given money if they were poor. The poor might befriend the rich landlord if he was lonely because they'd like to be befriended if they were lonel ...[text shortened]... don't think Jewish friends would be too pleased, so you've got to use a bit of empathy also.
I understand completely what the Rule is getting at but the exmaple I gave was a loose one (not to be taken too literally) to show the problem of reciprocation. The rule fails in PRACTICE because the nature of some people ensures you will always be taken advantage of eventually.
In theory I think it is a fine Rule and the world would be a much better place if it worked.
Originally posted by ShallowBlueOK, sorry, I didn't mean to sound as harsh as I probably did. But you admit yourself that your example was a bad one. I don't thnk that what I said is therefore made any less valid.
I think it is you that has missed my point.
I understand completely what the Rule is getting at but the exmaple I gave was a loose one (not to be taken too literally) to show the problem of reciprocation. The rule fails in PRACTICE because the nature of some people ensures you will always be taken advantage of eventually.
In theory I think it is a fine Rule and the world would be a much better place if it worked.
I don't think that I agree when you say that the Rule doesn't work because it needs everyone to follow it for it to do so. Of course someone who always follows the rule will be taken advantage of, even if unintentionally, becausethat's the world we live in. But the Rule isn't about getting something back because you gave, it's about doing what you think is right regardless. What better mark of a person than that they can be taken advantage of yet still carry on following the Rule? Sure, it would work better if every one followed it, but don't let that detract from the good it can do when only some people follow it.
Originally posted by belgianfreakI admire you altruistic remarks belgianfreak and agree that only some people following the rule is still an improvement to the world.
OK, sorry, I didn't mean to sound as harsh as I probably did. But you admit yourself that your example was a bad one. I don't thnk that what I said is therefore made any less valid.
I don't think that I agree when you say that the Rule doesn't work because it needs everyone to follow it for it to do so. Of course someone who always follows the ru ...[text shortened]... llowed it, but don't let that detract from the good it can do when only some people follow it.
But... If you follow the rule and you are taken advantage of, how do you then deal with the person who has done this to you. Do you continue to follow the rule should you come across their path again?
If you did, then most people would regard this a foolishness and you are simply 'asking for it'.
If not, then you are not adhering to the Golden Rule but to a modified version of it more akin to the 'Tit for Tat Rule' (see my previous post on various Rules.)
Kind regards,
Frank.