The Platinum Rule

In have a Cardinal Rule in my Classroom I live by, and hold my students to:

The Platinum Rule

Treat others better than you want to be treated.

The Golden Rule is fine and dandy, but I always felt that treating others the WAY you wanted to be treated might have ulterior motives.  Like, "I'll help you with this, so you will help me later with that."

Maybe that is just the way I have always interpreted it, but that's how I read it.  "I'll treat you well when it is convenient to me and will serve me best."

I understand the point behind the philosophy, which is why I came up with the Platinum Rule. First, a little chemistry... While Platinum and Gold are only one proton away from one another, they are very different (78 to 79 respectively).  Platinum is worth more than gold.  It is stronger. It is more dense. It is overall (in my opinion), better.

Therefore, the Platinum Rule is to treat others better than you want to be treated.  What does that look like?  Doing the right thing for the right reasons.  Helping people and the situation because you should, and not expecting anything in return.  I realize how tall of an order that is, but think about how the world would be different if more people lived that way?  "I will help you because I CAN."  Philanthropy for the sake of it.  Food for thought.