When the Golden Rule Fails

The Golden Rule is found in all of the world’s major religions and ethical traditions, and is generally agreed upon as a good rule to live by. Unfortunately, the Golden Rule often fails to help others and can sometimes cause more damage than benefit.

Before I explain what I mean, I thought it would be interesting to give a few examples of how the Golden Rule appears in different religions (for a complete list, seeWikipedia):

- Buddhism: “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurt...