Brian’s Simple Rules of Life

There are a few rules of life I think we could all live by… I don’t claim to have invented any of these and generally will try to cite the rule. I don’t claim to be wise, but I hope I’m not Polonius either…

This is just my initial rough draft…

  • Don’t be a dick – Wheaton’s Law (Wil Wheaton). Pretty much everything below is summarized by this key phrase.
  • Treat others as you’d have them treat you… more specifically treat everyone, as you’d want to be treated by somebody you love and respect – The Golden Rule. Almost all faiths have some version of this. More specifically here, the rule is extended to treat others as you’d want to be treated by those you love and respect… all to often when applying this rule, person A may dismiss person B because they don’t care how B would treat them as they have no love and respect for them… notice the keywords here, love and respect. Even if they sin differently than you, in that it doesn’t harm anyone like a violent crime, treat them as you’d have them treat you.
  • Greed is the root of all evil – It is said that money is the root of all evil, but money in of itself is fine. Wealth is fine. It is greed that is the problem. Hunger for money and or power or fame over the welfare of others. By way of example, when the owner of a business doesn’t pay their workers a living wage when the business makes enough to pay them as such, and they take the money for themselves, that is the greed I speak of.
  • The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one – Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn, but originates with Jeremy Bentham who said “it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong” and later refined by Francis Hutcheson, David Hume and others (while these are all typically utilitarianism thinkers, I’m not fully advocating for that philosophy either). The idea here is fairly simple, to put the self last, to put religion, nationality and others near the end. We must consider what will do the greatest good for the greatest number of people, irrespective of borders, religion, race, etc.
  • This is a world we all must share  – “On the turning away” – Pink Floyd (lyrics/video). Much like the needs of the many above, this talks about how this is “just a world that we all must share, it’s not enough just to stand and stare”. The core message here (not necessarily Pink Floyd’s, but my interpretation) is to not ignore the plight of others just because they are another race, another religion, or live in another country. This also goes a long way into considering the future as well, and not take actions that just benefit those of us now or the short term, but the long term as well (more on that later). See also Borders by MIA (lyrics/video).
  • Leave this world a better place than you came into it – Seek to leave everything, the environment, the country, the world, in better shape for future generations, not just your kids and their kids, but their great grand-kids. NOTE: This rule doesn’t just apply to you and yours, and your nation, but to a stranger in the poorest part of the world and their kids, or a stranger in a good part of the world and their kids. It follows the “this is a world we all must share” rule, and is more or less an extension of that.
  • The greatest commandment is Love one another – Commandment of Jesus. Seek understanding and empathy and love with all people, regardless of their race, gender, faith… all people…
  • Blessed are the peacemakers – Commandment of Jesus. Violence, especially war, is an action of last resort. Always seek first peace via peaceful means. Never cheer war, carpet bombing and the like.
  • More to be inserted… this whole thing is a rough draft, and there were originally a couple more that I can’t remember at this moment that were to be put ahead of the final rule.
  • In that it does not violate the above and risks or harms none, do as thou will – modification of the Wiccan Rede. Simple enough, if it doesn’t violate any of the rules above, nor harms anyone, do as you wish. Now “harms none” can be interpreted as to include the self, but allows for some leeway. For example, many would say drinking alcohol (at least getting drunk) harms one’s self, but may be allowed anyhow… so long as said drunkenness doesn’t risk or harm anyone. If one is prone to violence or improper actions or driving under the influence, then it does violate the rule.

As to why there are a few Biblical ones, like “Blessed are the Peacemakers” and the greatest commandant according to Jesus… because the far right seems to ignore the teachings of Jesus, especially the sermon on the mount…

Random Musings of Father, Gamer, Author, and occasional YouTuber, and Twitch Streamer, Brian A. Thomas.