What is the Simplest Rule of Empathy? The Golden Rule! Hmm or should it be the Platinum Rule?

Keeping it Simple … at home, at work and in our communities. The Golden Rule certainly is a great starting point expounded by a multitude of people and organizations. It implies empathy. Superficially it reminds us to trying to be considerate of others. The only problem is if we dig deeper that the measure is against our values, wants and desires and negates the perspective of another person.

Don’t get me wrong it is a fantastic starting point but then we have to ask ourselves and is this what the other person would want? If not we might have to readjust and offer that support, gesture or words that would hold significance to the other party. I have a friend here at Bear Mountain, Donna, who is excellent at brainstorming gifts for people as to what they would like to receive. She is spot on pretty much 98% of the time (I’m giving her a 2% margin of error lol). She takes the time and takes great delight in trying to put herself in another’s shoes when thinking what will tickle the other’s fancy.

I’m watching the series of news stories cover the Black Lives Matter Movement. It is so invigorating to see people passionately and respectfully protesting, YET, as my elf king has pointed out, what about all the other lives lost in the past, and in a flash this is going to be ‘old’ news. I listen to commentaries that our political and government leaders need to do more. Wait, let’s take a moment and think, there are initiatives in place, quite a number of them in government and school. As a teacher who only retired four years ago, we had a number of equity/antiracism/social skill initiatives. Do we need more? Absolutely!

Can our leaders do more? YES! AND WE need to take responsibility and do more in what we think, say and do on a daily basis in our homes and at work. WE need to hold ourselves more accountable that WE WALK THE TALK. We need to challenge each other when inappropriate comments, jokes or social media are shared. WE need to have the courage to stop it immediately, instead of being quiet, possibly awkwardly giggling in hopes of not engaging in conflict. We need to be role models for our kids. We need to challenge them when they act or say things in appropriate instead of providing excuses.

The protests need to be replaced by US and a WE attitude.

Dazzle’s Challenges: Think about making treasure boxes for each other in a family….watch this video as a primer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRn_lCmDoZY

We watched this movie last night Green Book and challenge the adults in your household to watch. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/green_book It’s a great film challenging perceptions. Take a look at the controversy too… https://time.com/5527806/green-book-movie-controversy/

Quick Take Away Links: A cool provoking counter argument to the golden rule https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/ambigamy/201208/how-the-golden-rule-makes-us-dumb

And The Platinum Rule 

https://forbesbooks.com/why-good-leaders-break-the-golden-rule/

Circling back yet again to Love Languages by Gary Chapman see former blogs

https://www.5lovelanguages.com/

Business

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/04/23/why-the-golden-rule-is-still-golden-and-how-businesses-can-embrace-it/

https://hbr.org/2011/10/profiting-from-the-golden-rule

https://press.fourseasons.com/corporate-bios/isadore-sharp.html

Song for kids