Do unto others as you would unto yourself. Sounds so simple yet why does it not seem feasible in 2day's world?

Question

Now, It is probably a case of do good to yourself with as little evil as possible to others

Answer 1

I believe it is nonsense that it is any less feasible now than it ever was in the past. There is a habit among people that they love to choose some past epoch and idealize it, claiming that people "back then" were good and honest, et cetera, et cetera. Can anyone provide any evidence that this ever was the case? If so, to what good ol' time should we return? The American '50s? The middle ages--that time of near universal suffering? How about Babylon? The Iron Age? No, wait, Victorian England, the time of such piety...and filth, want, and despair. No, thank you kindly, I'll stay right where I am.

In any case, can anyone tell me why you personally, as a virtuous individual, cannot live up to this standard? Whether you find this moral standard in Kant's Categorical Imperative, or formulated as the "Golden Rule," it seems to me that the only reason for saying that it is not feasible is to exempt oneself from it. After all, the dictum is personal and if accepted on that level there is no reason why it is not tenable, even if nobody else follows it.
The whole idea of it, I think, was never imagined to be a rule that everyone must follow in every case, since clearly not every person lives a virtuous life and those of us who do strive to live thus will periodically transgress even our own rules we set for ourselves. The point, then, would be to provide a guiding principle to which we can refer when faced with a moral decision.
So how, then, is this less feasible now than in the past? And in what way are people in general less moral? People, it appears to me, suffer much less now than at any other time in the whole of human history. How can this be, if morality is in continuous decline? The only reason that can be invoked to explain this is that morality is not in decline. Instead, through the progress made in human ethical, political, and social thought, we do in fact over time make Better moral judgements.

Answer 2

Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Well unfortunately in today's society is a rapidly deteriorating group that believe that there is good in all people. Somehow, discipline and self worth have been replaced with the "gimme" syndrome. Someone should gimme a job, a raise, a better job, a home, a better home, a car, a better car, some one else OWES ME. Unfortunately a lot of the current lawyers are not helping in this. We have become a sue happy nation, stuck in a rut of get rich quick schemes that have led us down a path that gets you nowhere. Society morals have taken a nose dive, family values are almost non-existent, and it seems the more we technologically advance, the further away the older values fade. Too many people are not willing to work for things the way they were 30, 40 50 years ago. Pretty scary when you start to think, really think on subjects like this.

Answer 3

Most people are too selfish & self-centred to put themselves in someone else's shoes. The Golden Rule seems to get forgotten by a stressed-out, impatient, me-me-me society. If only we would all treat each other the way we want to be treated. I try to do this as much as possible but I must admit I lose my patience when I'm driving! I can't stand slow drivers, drivers who tailgait, cut you off, don't let you merge, basically anyone doing the wrong thing (anything different from me!) I try to be courteous but when people aren't I do get annoyed. I usually get a sore middle finger after a long drive! Tee hee. Still, this is still how I'd want to be treated, because if I'm being a total idiot then I deserve to get the finger! Ha ha

Answer 4

It is simple. If you wouldn't like it done to you then don't do it to others! Why is that not feasible. I try to live like this and I don't find it difficult. What I struggle to understand is why other people find it so hard to be nice to each other. Perhaps in this day and age people are too judgemental of others to look at their selves. Also, we see 'not nice' people getting on in the world, a big success, whilst the 'nice' people fall by the wayside, failures, and so we choose to model ourselves on the successes, regardless of the cost to our personal integrity.

Answer 5

It doesn't SEEM feasible today because today's world is all about money and power for oneself. And that expression, I'm Ok, you're Ok, not matter what - it just doesn't make sense. We all have to learn to admit out mistakes and sins and to TRY and do better and to treat people the same way we would treat members of our own families whom we love very much.

Answer 6

well people are selfish and lazy these days! back then, hard work and ethics were treated with Respect..nowadays, who gets all the respect? the Wealthy! no matter how horrible they are, as long as they have cash, they are "gods". knowing that back in the day, Gidget and Peggy Sue were "sex symbols", and now Paris Hilton and Angelina Jolie took their place, it's easy to see how deteriorated our society's values have become... =T i don't have anything against those women, but i think there was a separation between onscreen Characters and personal lives.. now not so much....

Answer 7

my dear friend, it is happening all around us. We destroy and hence we shall be destroyed. We are responsible for the deaths of millions of people we have never seen before and therefore we in turn are paying for our intrusions. We destroy the planet, its plants and animals and therefore the planet must react and do unto us what we what been doing to it.
You seem to assume that we want people to do good unto us. Take a look around you my friend we reap what we sow. Its only today that we can start to see it.

Answer 8

Like the golden rule it imposes "your" will on the other. To be really acceptable a rule involves dialog between you and the other to reach compromise. Both your maxim and the golden rule are so selfish. Selfishness is what is so wrong with our world today. Have you ever seen a smiling one year old baby reach out to touch its mother with love and curiosity? And she respond with a return smile and touch? That is the sense and meaning of dialog.

Answer 9

A biblical prophet said: "it is not for man to straighten his path". Coupled w/ man's imperfection, is the fact that an evil spirit (Satan) rules this world. So, w/o God's help we can not follow even that simple rule.

Answer 10

some one commented Do not cling to good,
Do not reject evil!
Purity and defilement -
If you depend on neither,
You will grasp the empty
nature of sin.
-Ma-tsu

And how long ago was that written? You cannot use quotes from that long ago now. its a completely diffrent world.