# The Monkey and the Golden Rule

- Link: https://dismasfellowshipnetwork.com/reflections/the-monkey-and-the-golden-rule/
- Published: 2021-05-11T12:38:21-04:00
- Author: Paul Tuck

**[[THE MONKEY AND THE GOLDEN RULE**

The Golden Rule is a universally accepted principle for the way humans ought to 
treat one another.  In the Bible, it is stated as
 **     “Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you.”**

It is a universal principle, and speaks to the heart of human relationships so effectively
that virtually all religions have a similar version of it.

HOWEVER, sometimes principles can be MISINTERPRETED or TWISTED.

For instance… here is a popular story from Tanzania, Africa that demonstrates how
the Golden Rule could be misinterpreted…

“ There once lived a monkey and a fish. The monkey followed the golden rule, always
trying to treat others as he wanted to be treated. But he sometimes applied the 
golden rule foolishly. Now one day a big flood came. As the threatening waters rose,
the foolish monkey climbed a tree to safety. Then he looked down and saw a fish 
struggling in the water. He thought, “I wanted to be lifted from the water.” So 
he reached down and grabbed the fish from the water, lifting him to safety on a 
high branch. Of course that didn’t work. The fish died.”

Hopefully if we saw a fish in the water we would think to ask ourselves  _“If I 
were that fish, I would not want to be lifted out of the water.”  _

THE POINT IS, it’s about treating others according to their needs…not our own!
 
It’s not “Do unto others as you want done to you,” but rather “Do unto others what
you would want done if you were in their position!”

**REFLECTION QUESTION:**
 _Can you think of an occasion where you tried to treat
someone in the spirit of the Golden Rule? _**_ Or __can you think of a time when
someone treated you in the fashion of this principle?_