We are a social animal. We need others in order to survive and for our own mental well-being. We need to nurture our communities. Family is a form of community. It is one worth nurturing, but our societies today are so complex that we must include those communities that are outside the family. I would
Integrity Be honest, especially to yourself. In order to achieve this, you need to be honest to others too. A common trap for dishonesty is to progressively believe your own lies. We often make life more complicated than need be, and being dishonest with ourselves and others exacerbates this, enclosing us in an ever-tightening web
Act with the intention to leave your surroundings unchanged or better than when you found them. A simple way of viewing this is to imagine your grandchildren will have better lives than you because of your legacy. Try and consider the long-term consequences of your behaviour or actions. Seemingly harmless events done in the present
Respect life The ancient Indian religion Jainism prescribes “ahimsa”, or a path of non-violence to all living beings. Jainism defines violence as intentional or unintentional harm. This could be related to “Empathise” so I have placed it second in the list, although I think this list should not be considered a list of priority. Jains
The first and most all-encompassing precept must be – Empathise The Golden Rule or The Ethic of Reciprocity is “Do not treat others in ways that you would not like to be treated”. The alternative similar and more commonly known version may be easier and more useful to remember, but is not exactly the same