#16B THE GOLDEN RULE, VILLAGE ETHIC OF MUTUAL HELP

I see all humans as worthy of special treatment. I believe society would work best if all obeyed The Golden Rule: that is, treat others as you would want them to treat you. I don’t lie, cheat, steal, discriminate, or arbitrarily restrict, because I don’t want people doing this to me. If I see someone suffering, beyond empathizing / feeling their pain, I give them compassion. If I see someone in need, I practice a “village ethic of mutual help”: I help them because someday I may similarly need help from someone.

More Information About This Worldview Theme
a heart WV Theme...		...individual <---> individual
the theme is paired with: #16A Culture of Fear to make Choice #18 in the Choices We Make cards
this theme as presented in older version of theme structure: version 1.0 version 2.0 & 3.0 is this theme new to version 4?--NO
click to look at the Project Worldview Cultural Literacy Encyclopedia Related Words, Beliefs, Background articles for the above choice
Project Worldview authored discussion, Worldview Watch related issues, songs, etc.
Discussion from The Worldview Literacy Book		Songs
Worldview Watch issue #77, posted 8/6/2024 Flaunting Wealth in Poor India
Worldview Watch #38, posted 5/16/2014 "Connecting September 11, 2001 to Worldview Themes"

Wikipedia articles related to this theme:
compassion	The Golden Rule		empathy
reciprocity (cultural anthropology)	Helping Behavior		reciprocal altruism
sympathy	altruism		typically rejects stranger danger
good Samaritan	theory of mind		Silver Rule
	Compassion Fatigue

worldview internal inconsistency related: Strongly valuing this theme and any of the themes in the list below is a contradiction:
#4 Spreading Disinformation / Tactical Deception	#17A Bitterness & Vengeance	#25 Evil is Out There	#29B Taking Charge==> Violence
#36A Cynicism	#36B Conspiracies	#39B Blaming / Scapegoating	#43 Seeking Wealth & Power
#103A Individual Glory	#202A Cautious Processing	#33A Servitude / Enslaved

More to Explore--Worldview Theme #16B: The Golden Rule, Village Ethic of Mutual Help

The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (Stanford University center and website)

Committee for the Golden Rule

The Golden Rule Foundation ("inspiring children to give to others")

Random Acts of Kindness (non-profit organization devoted to "inspiring a culture of kindness in our schools, homes, and communities")

The Golden Rule (everything about the philosophy behind this)

Shared Belief in the Golden Rule

The Golden Rule in World Religion

The Golden Rule--A Proper Scale for Our Environmental Crisis by Stephen J. Gould

Gandhi and his Message of Universal Brotherhood

Tolstoy on the Law of Love

The Charter for Compassion (read full text of this statement inspired by The Golden Rule)

The Golden Rule, by Jeffrey Wattles (review of book that surveys the history of The Golden Rule)

Brotherhood (a Muslim perspective)

Confucious and the Family of Man

How Would You Feel if a Million Soviet Troops Stormed Your Reich Capital? (an opposing viewpoint)

The Golden Rule -- A Web Exercise

The Golden Rule, Fairness (in an international trade context)

Gold, Silver, and Iron--Three Rules of Human Conduct by Wayne Jackson (posted on The Christian Courier site)

The Value of Gold: Ethics & Worldviews (business view)

Empathy (related articles, quotes posted on eqi.org website)

The Roots of Empathy (organization offers "an evidence-based classroom program" and seeks to build "caring, peaceful, and civil societies")

Compassion (a Buddhist perspective)

“Four Simple Ways to Nurture Kid’s Empathy” by Michele Borba

What to Teach Children? --Golden Rule Tops Poll (from NPR May 1 2024)

How the golden rule brings Americans together by Mya Jaradat (posted March 21, 2022 in Deseret News)

"Acts of kindness prevent a downward spiral from solitude to loneliness" (article in The Economist April 18 2020)

Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion by Paul Bloom (book review from The Economist Jan 28 2017)

"Selfish Traits Not Favored By Evolution, Study Shows" by Melissa Hogenboom (report from BBC News, Aug 2 2013)

Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism and Shame by Christopher Boehm (Megan Gambino's book review from The Smithsonian May 4 2012)

The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society by Frans de Waal (review of this 2009 book)

Forelaws on Board ("Universal forelaws of empathy and compassion-empirical attributes of cosmic genealogy")

The Evolution of Cooperation, by Robert Axelrod and Richard Dawkins (2006 revision of classic--read excerpts at Google Books)

The Science of Good and Evil -- Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and the Golden Rule, by Michael Shermer

Good Samaritan Laws in Different Countries

18 Practical Tips for Living the Golden Rule (posted on zenhabits.net website)

The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper (more on this 2007 award winning children's book)

The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society by Frans de Waal (more on this 2010 book with excerpts from Google Books)

On Kindness, by Adam Phillips & Barbara Taylor (review of this 2009 book)

"What Makes Us Moral?" by Jeffrey Kluger (December 3, 2007 Time magazine article)

The Neurobiology of Trust, by Paul J. Zak (June, 2008 Scientific American article)

The Factors in Organic Evolution, by David Starr Jordan (see especially lecture XXVII from this 1894 classic)

quotes related to the Golden Rule

quotes related to compassion

back to Theme Choices version 4.2 structure

"As you shop in "The Reality Marketplace" avoid spending your "reality cash" too early, before you have seen everything. "
from Coming of Age in the Global Village, by Stephen P. Cook, with Donella H. Meadows.