24 November 2014 - Ruled by Compassion
Post date: Nov 26, 2014 6:38:19 PM
The path to end civil strife is for each person to treat every other person with compassion.
Would the USA be a wonderful place where everyone gets along if each person would just follow the law? No. The task of following the law is impossible. The USA already has more laws than any typical person can keep track of, much less follow on purpose.
The Code of Laws of the United States of America (U.S.C.) is the official compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal statutes of the United States. It contains 51 titles. Title 26 of US Federal Law is over 3 million words long, over 11,000 pages when printed. It is estimated* that there are over 4,400 criminal offenses spread across the the U.S.C. Additionally, people are beholden to the laws of their states, counties, and municipalities.
Here is the path to ending civil strife: Treat others better than you treat yourself. That is compassion.
Setting the standard at better than you treat yourself is important. If you have ever avoided exercise, failed to save for a rainy day, stayed up too late, eaten too much, or failed to vote in the democratic process by voting then you know what it means to not take care of yourself. If you habitually do not do what you ought to do with regards to your own welfare, then following the Golden Rule seems trite.
Think again on those times when you let yourself down by failing to take care of yourself. What if someone else would have stepped in and helped you make the right choices each time you were on the verge of failing yourself? That would be the ultimate compassion if someone could anticipate your pain and help you to avoid it; help presented in a way that would accept and enjoy.
Compassion is the path to a wonderful world where everyone gets along. Following the U.S.C, the Golden Rule, and the Silver Rule are weak approximates for being ruled by compassion.
*Even those paid to count said it is impossible to count the crimes accurately.