It’s believed that you learn everything you need to know about life in Kindergarten. Share everything, play fair, don’t push, so on and so forth.
The Golden Rule states in no uncertain terms that you should do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Correct?
I guess I didn’t learn everything I needed to know because that rule is an enabler. Life has taught me with disturbing clarity that the “rule” is more of a suggestion and it only applies to people who have no issue being bound by rules.
You cannot, I repeat, cannot treat people the way you want to be treated because we’re all sociopaths.
The most you can do is establish nonnegotiable boundaries, soft limits, and maybe even a few, ‘you can’t knock it til’ you try it’ points and be honest with others about them. Hopefully, your screening process is stringent enough that whoever makes it past the interview stage, listens and is courteous enough to live within the guidelines, so you may all coexist without incident.
Stop assuming that because you treat people a certain way, they’ll treat you just the same. This rule has some of us walking around here with big ass, block letter, shouty capital ‘KICK ME’ signs plastered to our backs.
Everyone DOES NOT live by the same code of ethics.
What glitters isn’t always gold and all that jazz. I should’ve known as a kid that a rule of golden proportions would be swaddled in deceit. King Midas had the golden touch and you see what happened to him.
All I’m saying is that we don’t all move the same way. Being one-dimensional serves you and you alone. If that’s who you are, then your single-minded focus will serve you well. I’m not a one-dimensional person. I’m a chameleon; multifaceted. I change my colors often, because it’s necessary. I’m a harsh person most of the time, but each person in my life can’t be handled the same way. Different gloves for different loves.
I treat people according to the way they demand to be treated. Yes, demand. If you let me trample all over you, then that’s what I’ll do. If you want me to treat you like the damn Sugar Plum fairy, then that’s what I’ll do. I’ll give you what you need; sometimes what you want. What I won’t give you, is what you expect. What I won’t do is treat you the way I expect to be treated.
You get what you deserve. Nothing more, nothing less.
Karefully Read 