The Platinum Rule
Hi,
This week’s email is about a helpful way to think about how you act toward others.
Here are the key practical points you should know (mainly from my article):
The platinum rule is a moral principle which states that you should treat others the way they want to be treated.
For example, the platinum rule denotes that if someone wants you to leave them alone, then you should do that.
The platinum rule can improve the way you engage with others (e.g., by helping you communicate with them more effectively), but it can also cause issues, for instance if people want to be treated in a way that’s harmful to others.
To use the platinum rule, you should treat people the way they want to be treated as much as reasonably possible, while also considering other relevant factors, like the potential harm that your actions might cause.
To figure out how people want to be treated, you can do things like talk to them, ask someone who knows them, think about their past actions, or visualize the situation from their perspective.
In addition, this principle can also help you communicate to other people how you want them to treat you.
As always, I’m happy to hear your thoughts.
Have a great week,
Itamar