What is the Golden Rule explained?

What is the Golden Rule? Explanation.

The Golden Rule is an ethical principle stating you should treat others as you would want to be treated. It guides moral behavior, often phrased as "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

I always thought the Golden Rule was, I dont know, a bit too simple. Like something you learn in primary school and that's it. Just be nice. But the actual practice of it is so much more confusing and difficult than the words sound. It's not about being nice.

I learned this working at a small firm in Shoreditch, London, back in autumn of 2018. A new guy was messing up his work, which was messing up mine. My first thought was just pure annoyance, he was making my life hard. Really hard.

I was so close to complaining to our manager. But then this little voice asked how I'd want to be treated if I were him. I’d want someone to talk to me first, to give me a chance. Not go behind my back. That thought just stopped me cold.

So I took him for coffee on Rivington Street, I think it was a Tuesday. It cost like £3.50 for a flat white. I just asked him what was going on. It wasn't laziness. It was a whole mess of personal stuff making him feel completely overwhelmed at the new job.

That one conversation changed everything between us. It's not about some abstract moral code. It’s about seeing the actual person and their situation before you react. It’s way more complicated, and way more important, than just "being nice".