what is the golden rule of essay writing

Golden Rule

I. definition.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is the idea (also called the law of reciprocity ) that may be the most universally applauded moral principle on Earth—the Golden Rule. Something like it appears in every major religion and ethical philosophy. The wording above is from the King James Bible , Matthew 7:12, however Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Confucian, and Zoroastrian versions of it appeared 3,000-500 years earlier.

The Christian version in Matthew says what you should do, rather than what you should not do. Most of the other versions say “don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want done to you.”  This is now known as “the silver rule.” The positive version seems a little more demanding, and more problematic, than the silver rule:

• If you are a parent, should you really treat your young children as you would have them treat you? That would mean expecting your two-year-old to support you, teach you, protect you, and take care of your problems.
• What about if you are a judge dealing with a convicted murder; should you release them immediately, as they would probably prefer you to do?
• If you are a Christian, should you serve a Muslim pork, as you might wish done to you?

Most non-philosophers lump together “love they neighbor,” “turn the other cheek,” and other similar ideas together with the golden rule. All of them revolve around the same themes — empathy, selflessness, reciprocity, and egalitarianism, principles at the foundations of most ethical systems (although certainly not all). So perhaps that is how the golden rule should be taken, as a general ethical stance, not a rule (which is impossible to follow).

Meanwhile, academic philosophers have pretty much left the golden rule alone, commenting on it mainly to point out that although it sounds good, it cannot be applicable to a lot of situations – depending on how you interpret it. We will examine interpretations that eliminate some of these problems cases. The golden rule sounds like a perfect guide to morality but it’s interpretation is rife with difficulties.

II. Types of the Golden Rule

Here we list some relatives of the Golden Rule, which often incorporate it:

a. The Silver Rule

“Do not do unto others as you would not want done to you.”

b. The Platinum Rule

“Treat others the way they want to be treated.”

c. The Rule of Love

Love others as you do yourself (or better).

d. Role-Taking

Put yourself in other’s shoes in order to know how to treat them ethically.

Feel and care about the suffering of others.

f. Kant’s Categorical Imperative

“Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.”  In other words, “Only follow ethical rules that you think should be universal.”  Philosophers consider Kant’s Imperative more philosophically air-tight than the golden rule.  Some present it as supporting the golden rule while others would claim the opposite.

III. The History  and Importance of  the Golden Rule

The oldest golden rule is the Hindu “One should always treat others as they wish to be treated” ( Hitopadehsa , from before 2000 BCE) which seems potentially more demanding than the golden rule. Most people would like to be treated better than they expect to be, or are willing to accept.

People tend to trace the Golden Rule back to Leviticus (19:18), “love thy neighbor as thyself,” which was probably first written down during the second millennium BCE. This is the only version of the rule from a major religion (Judaism) that explicitly mentions “love.” But some philosophers suggest that behind all versions of the golden rule is, or should be, the idea of universal, unconditional love. Along with the silver rule and other similar ideas, the ancient Greek philosophers expressed agape , which also has an underlying principle of love.

However, the Hebrew principle of “love thy neighbor” seems deceptive for its time. The rule was formulated in a tribal society, where it could only apply to other members of one’s tribe, and not necessarily to outsiders. It is quite likely that the “neighbor” in “love thy neighbor” was intended literally: love your neighbor as yourself, but not necessarily people from the next town over! In fact, of the three Abrahamic religions, only Islam has made the golden rule a religious obligation; if you are a guest in a very traditional Muslim home, your hosts will give you everything they can and lay down their lives for you, if necessary.

Similarly, around 500 BCE, Confucius wrote “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” In contrast to the statement in Leviticus, which is found in the middle of a long list of rules, the Confucian rule has always been emphasized, as a foundation of Confucian society.

But this raises a different kind of problem for the golden rule:

Confucian society was far from egalitarian, and not supposed to be. In the context of Confucian China, as is still true today, morality consisted of treating people as appropriate to their stations in life—treating a gentleman as a gentleman, a soldier as a soldier, and a slave as a slave; the hierarchy of superior and inferior relationships was (perhaps still is) is a central principle of Chinese relationships.

Confucius may have meant, “Treat people appropriately for their status, as you would wish them to do to you.”  Or “Treat other people of a similar status, as you expect to be treated.” For people of different social status to treat each other similarly is traditionally considered both rude and immoral in China; it threatens to upset social harmony, which depends on each person fulfilling their proper role in the Confucian hierarchy.

IV. Famous Quotes about the Golden Rule

“I have something that I call my Golden Rule. It goes something like this: ‘Do unto others twenty-five percent better than you expect them to do unto you.’ … The twenty-five percent is for error.” ― Linus Pauling

Linus Pauling, an American chemist and the only scientist to win two non-shared Nobel prizes, gives us a rationally improved golden rule. Although it’s a bit tongue in cheek, alluding to the high standard of proof in science, Pauling’s modification is an astute rule-of-thumb repair for one of the golden rule’s most serious flaws – that it expects us to decide how well other people wish to be treated.

“Jonathan Swift made a soul for the gentlemen of this city by hating his neighbor as himself.” ― W.B. Yeats, Selected Poems and Four Plays

A humorous and cynical twist on the Torah’s “love thy neighbor as thyself,” Yeats, the great Irish poet, expressed much in this quote. Jonathan Swift, another Irishman and the author of Gulliver’s Travels, also wrote the satirical “A Modest Proposal,” in which he parodied the cruelty of upper-class attitudes towards the poor in his city of Dublin. So, he truly did give the “gentlemen” of his city a “soul” – that is, he tried to awaken their consciences by pointing out the opposite of love.

V.  The Golden Rule in Popular Culture

Example 1 : “deep thoughts” by jack handy on saturday night live.

This was a running joke on SNL for years in which the viewer was periodically presented with various “deep thoughts” – sort of an early predecessor of the fake-profound memes so many people post on Facebook. The following one is based on the Navajo version of the golden rule, “Before you insult someone, walk a mile in their moccasins”:

Deep Thoughts : “Before you insult a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way you’ll be a mile away when he gets offended, and you’ll have his shoes.”—John Handy

Example 2: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

This may be stretching the definition of “pop culture” a bit, but we had to find a place for this quote, in which Prince Hamlet and the councilor Polonius discuss how Polonius will treat the traveling theatrical troupe which has come to their castle (“desert” in this quote means what someone deserves):

POLONIUS: My lord, I will use them according to their desert. HAMLET: God’s bodykins, man, much better. Use every man after his desert, and who should ’scape whipping? Use them after your own honor and dignity. The less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take them in. ( Hamlet , Act II, Scene 2)

Here, Shakespeare seems to argue for how one should treat people who might not “deserve” high-class treatment. His answer is, the better you treat them, and the less they deserve it, the more honorable you’ll look. At the same time that this seems like a highly ethical policy, it is meant somewhat cynically, since Hamlet is appealing to Polonius’ ego in order to motivate him to treat people well.

VI. The Golden Rule versus Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism , associated with philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill provides universal ethical guidance through its policy of “maximizing utility,” where “utility” usually means human well-being. In other words, “always do whatever will bring the greatest amount of well-being to the greatest number of people.” This can be seen as another attempt, like Kant’s, to come up with a more reliable version of the golden rule. Most critics of the golden rule agree that its greatest flaw is the phrase “as you would have them do to you” because it references our subjective desires and preferences. Utilitarianism remedies this flaw.

VII. Controversies

Philosophers disagree about whether the golden rule is problematic or inappropriate, and why.

Some point out that it cannot be followed literally in all kinds of relationships, such as between employer and employee, parent and child, or teacher and student. Others say that it can be, because it could be interpreted to mean “treat others as you would wish to be treated if you were them, in their social role, relative to you”; i.e. if you are a boss, treat your employees as you would wish to be treated if you were in their position .

Thus, perhaps the Hindu version, “treat others as they wish to be treated” is better worded. But, it doesn’t save the day. Some people wish to be treated badly. Others wish to be treated like gods.  Few people know what is best for themselves. And the way a child wishes to be treated by a parent or a teacher is probably not the best thing for them!

Other philosophers say that the answer to these conundrums is that the golden rule is not a “rule” of action, but of psychology; in other words, it says, “be empathic” or “treat people as if you cared for their welfare as much as your own.”

But, even if this solves some of the earlier mentioned difficulties, it’s a recipe for disaster in relationships between people from different cultures. For example, if you go to China, people will usually serve you hot water at meals. Chinese people believe that cold water is bad for one’s health. Chinese also may feel offended if you tip them, because it implies that they need your charity. So, following the golden rule is much complicated by cultural relativity.

a. Buddhism

c. Christianity

d. Hinduism

a. It mentions love

b. It is worded negatively rather than positively

c. It only applies to Jews

d. It was singled out as more important than other rules

a. Different people prefer to be treated differently

b. It requires too much self-sacrifice

c. People are not wise enough to apply it correctly

d. It was created by people who may not have been egalitarian

a. Treat people as they wish to be treated

b. Treat people in whatever way is best for everybody’s well-being

c. Treat people as they deserve to be treated

d. Don’t treat others as you wish not to be treated

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Last updated on Nov 24, 2022

Show, Don't Tell: Tips and Examples of The Golden Rule

Show, don’t tell is a writing technique in which story and characters are related through sensory details and actions rather than exposition. It fosters a more immersive writing style for the reader, allowing them to “be in the room” with the characters.

In his oft-repeated quoted, Anton Chekhov said , “Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass."

In short: showing illustrates, while telling merely states. Here’s a quick example:

Showing: As his mother switched off the light and left the room, Michael tensed. He huddled under the covers, gripped the sheets, and held his breath as the wind brushed past the curtain.

Telling: Michael was terribly afraid of the dark.

In the “showing” example, rather than merely saying that Michael is afraid of the dark, we’ve put him in a situation where his experience of that fear takes center stage. The reader can deduce the same information they’d get from the “telling” example but in a much more compelling way.

In this post, we'll show you why Show Don't Tell is the most popular "rule" in creative writing and show you how you can add some "showing" skills to your toolkit.

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Drawing the readers in with action

Showing also helps develop characters in a way that isn't just listing their traits. For instance, rather than telling your readers that “Gina was selfish and immature,” you could show this side of her by writing a scene where she whines about how everyone forgot her half-birthday. Or if you have a character who’s extremely determined, show her actually persisting through something — don’t just say “she was persistent.”

When done right, showing draws readers into the narrative with truly immersive description. It contributes to story development but also leaves certain things up to the reader’s interpretation, which is much more interesting than making everything explicit. (Though of course, you can still use language to alter their perception ).

The bottom line: telling might be quicker, and it’s certainly necessary to have some telling in every story (more on that later), but showing should almost always be your prime strategy.

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All right, that’s enough theory for now! Let’s talk about how you can show, not tell, in your own work. Here are five key tips on how to show rather than tell in a story

4 Practical 'Show, Don’t Tell' Tips

Let's start with one of the most important aspects of storytelling...

Tip #1. Create a sense of setting

One of the best ways to show rather than tell is to create a sense of setting. You can do this by writing about how characters perceive and interact with their surroundings, weaving plenty of sensory details and occasional action into the scene. This is a particularly good way to lend immediacy to your story, as the reader should be able to imagine themselves in that very setting. 

Telling: I walked through the forest. It was already Fall and I was getting cold.

Showing: The dry orange leaves crunched under my feet as I pulled the collar up on my coat. 

Tip #2. Use dialogue to show character

In addition to setting, you can also use dialogue to demonstrate story elements beyond the surface conversation. A character’s speech will tell the reader a lot about them, especially when they’re first being introduced.

Do they use long sentences and polysyllabic words or do they prefer short, punchy replies? Are there likely to use slang and call an authority figure “dude” or “fam” or will they address them respectfully as “Mr. So-and-So”?

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Tip #3. If in doubt, always describe action

“Telling” almost always grinds your narrative momentum to a halt. Imagine having to describe the setting every time your characters enter a new space — any pace you had built in your chapter would be destroyed. However, it’s still important to evoke the setting and put your scene in context. And that’s where showing action comes in handy.

Let’s say you start your scene with your character walking through St Mark’s Square in Venice. Instead of describing the pigeons, the tourists and the layout of the space, you can evoke it through action:

He was late. St Mark’s clocktower had struck one and Enzo found himself pushing against the tide of tourists milling towards the cafes lining the Piazza San Marco. A clump of pigeons scattered in front of him.

Through action, you’re able to describe the setting of the scene while also maintaining your story’s forward motion.

Tip #4. Use strong details, but don’t overdo it

Strong, vivid details are crucial to the process of showing. However, that doesn’t mean you should include too many details, especially those that are overly embellished. This kind of excessively ornate language can be just as bad as “telling” language that’s too basic, as it may cause the reader to lose interest in your super-dense prose.

Too much detail: The statue felt rough, its aged facade caked with dust and grime as I weighed it in my hand, observing its jagged curves and Fanta-colored hue.

Just right: It was heavier than it looked. Some of the orange facade crumbled in my hand as I picked it up.

Strike the right balance by alternating between simple and complex sentences and ideas, and different types of sensory detail, so the reader doesn’t get overloaded on one type.

'Show, Don’t Tell' Examples

To break down this technique even further, here are a few additional "show, don't tell" examples of authors showing rather than telling in their writing. If you want to analyze even more examples of this tactic, just crack open the nearest novel! Pretty much every work of fiction involves showing, and observing the tactics of successful authors is one of the best ways to learn for yourself.

Example #1. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

I once had a garden. I can remember the smell of the turned earth, the plump shapes of bulbs held in the hands, fullness, the dry rustle of seeds through the fingers. Time could pass more swiftly that way. Sometimes the Commander’s Wife has a chair brought out, and just sits in it, in her garden. From a distance it looks like peace.

This passage uses various senses (smell, touch, and sound) to recreate the atmosphere of Offred’s old garden, romanticizing the act of gardening to show that she misses those days. It also connects that peaceful past time to the present day, implying that many people no longer feel at peace, including the Commander’s Wife.

Example #2. It by Stephen King

In this early scene, young Georgie runs after his toy boat as he is unwittingly being lured by a malevolent force.

Now here he was, chasing his boat down the left of Witcham Street. He was running fast but the water was running faster and his boat was pulling ahead. He heard a deepening roar and saw that fifty yards farther down the hill the water in the gutter was cascading into a storm drain that was still open. It was a long dark semi-circle cut into the curbing, and as Georgie watched, a stripped branch, its bark as dark and glistening as sealskin, shot into the storm drain’s maw.

King renders the fast-running rivulets of a rainy day by having Georgie run alongside them, unable to keep up. Then he sees the storm drain, which King aptly calls a “maw” (a spot-on metaphor), and its threat is heightened by the sound of its “deepening roar” and the fact that it swallows an entire branch. Needless to say, poor Georgie’s boat doesn’t stand a chance.

Example #3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

In this scene, a suburban husband awakens to the sound of his wife’s cooking.

My morning breath warmed the pillow, and I changed the subject in my mind. Today was not a day for second-guessing or regret, it was a day for doing. Downstairs, I could hear the return of a long-lost sound: Amy making breakfast. Banging wooden cupboards (rump-thump!), rattling containers of tin and glass (ding-ring!), shuffling and sorting a collection of metal pots and iron pans (ruzz-shuzz!). A culinary orchestra tuning up, clattering vigorously toward the finale.

This passage starts off fairly simple, building up to the grand metaphor of the kitchen noises as a “culinary orchestra.” It’s also noteworthy for its use of onomatopoeia, which is a great tactic for “showing” sound.

However, this passage isn’t just what Nick hears: it’s also what he feels (“my morning breath warmed the pillow”) and thinks (“I changed the subject in my mind”). The intimate description pulls the reader in, and the passage's rhythm (quite literally!) keeps them engaged.

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Example #4. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

In this passage, Kristen contemplates her loneliness.

She had never entirely let go of the notion that if she reached far enough with her thoughts she might find someone waiting, that if two people were to cast their thoughts outward at the same moment they might somehow meet in the middle.

The theme of loneliness is evoked by with specific details: the character is shown desperately thinking about human connection. Her use of language — “reached far enough,” “cast their thoughts outward” — illustrates how extreme the character’s isolation is. This also ties into the post-apocalyptic novel’s theme of societal breakdown, which naturally results in isolation. Overall, this description gives us a much better idea of the character of Kirsten and the world of the Station Eleven than if Mandel wrote, “She wished that she weren’t so lonely.”

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Example #5. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

In this early scene, Fern, the very young daughter of a farmer, learns of a new litter of piglets.

"Where's Papa going with that ax?" said Fern to her mother. "Out to the hoghouse," replied Mrs. Arable. "Some pigs were born last night." "I don't see why he needs an ax," continued Fern, who was only eight. "Well," said her mother, "one of the pigs is a runt. It's very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it." "Do away with it?" shrieked Fern. "You mean kill it? Just because it's smaller than the others?"

From this brief conversation, E.B. White clearly characterizes Fern and sets the central plot in motion . After realizing that her father is about to kill a runt pig, Fern steps up to save Wilbur (as she’ll soon christen him), who will become the main character of the story. This passage also introduces the themes of empathy toward animals and the prospect of death, which pervade the rest of the book. White could have simply written “Fern cared a lot about animals,” but from the dialogue, we see it for ourselves — plus we get a sense of how the plot might unfold from here.

Example #6. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

In this extract from Dickens's classic, orphan Oliver arrives in London for the first time.

A dirtier or more wretched place he had never seen. The street was very narrow and muddy, and the air was impregnated with filthy odours. There were a good many small shops; but the only stock in trade appeared to be heaps of children, who, even at that time of night, were crawling in and out at the doors, or screaming from the inside. The sole places that seemed to prosper amid the general blight of the place, were the public-houses… Oliver was just considering whether he hadn't better run away, when they reached the bottom of the hill.

Oliver’s initial impression of London hits us like a train: you can almost taste the filthy air and hear the children screaming for yourself. And if the description of London’s extreme depravity wasn’t already evident enough, you can tell from Oliver’s reaction that it must be pretty bad — for context, he’s just walked 30+ miles to reach London, and this is the first thing that’s really fazed him.

Of course, Dickens might have just written, “Oliver reached London. It was dirty and crowded.” But while this more or less summarizes the above passage, it completely loses the visceral sense of setting and Oliver’s feelings toward that setting. Without these details, the description would be totally generic.

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Example #7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

In this scene, Montag, a “fireman” tasked with destroying books, hears his boss’s voice in his head, describing the burning of pages.

He could hear Beatty's voice. “Sit down, Montag. Watch. Delicately, like the petals of a flower. Light the first page, light the second page. Each becomes a black butterfly. Beautiful, eh? Light the third page from the second and so on, chainsmoking, chapter by chapter, all the silly things the words mean, all the false promises, all the second-hand notions and time-worn philosophies.”

This excellent use of metaphor (taken from our list of 97 metaphors in literature and pop culture ) compares the pages of burnt books to “black butterflies”: an eerie image that, fittingly enough, burns itself into our brains. Though no book-burning actually occurs at this moment (Montag is merely imagining it), the reader can still vividly see what it would look like. We shudder at the contrast between the innocent, petal-like pages and the monstrous, destructive fire. Indeed, this is the pinnacle of showing — it really drives home how powerful figurative language can be.

Example #8. White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Archie scrabbling up the stairs, as usual cursing and blinding, wilting under the weight of boxes that Clara could carry two, three at a time without effort; Clara taking a break, squinting in the warm May sunshine, trying to get her bearings. She peeled down to a little purple vest and leaned against her front gate. What kind of a place was this? That was the thing, you see, you couldn’t be sure.

The stream-of-consciousness style here evokes the rushed chaos of moving house. Also, the juxtaposed descriptions of Archie and Clara (him “ scrabbling, cursing, blinding, and wilting ” while she calmly assesses the situation) show how different they are — a disparity that will only grow over the course of the book.

"Telling" is sometimes a better option

Of course, sometimes you have no other choice but to do a bit of “telling” in a story. Yes, it’s a narrative shortcut, but sometimes shortcuts are necessary — especially when you’re trying to explain something quickly, with no fanfare or immersive evocation for readers. Writers often “tell” at the beginning of a story to get the exposition across , or after a “big reveal” where certain details just need to be clearly stated. The important thing is balance; as long as you don’t have too much of either telling or showing, you should be fine.

Finally, remember that there are no hard-and-fast rules for writing. If you’re worried that you’re telling too much and not showing enough, but your writing still flows well and engages readers, don’t feel obligated to change it! And as Jim Thomas says in the video above: “In the arts, rules are more like friendly suggestions. This is especially useful to remember when you’re creating your first or second draft — you’re going to ‘tell’ and that’s okay. You’re still figuring out what your story is about.”

So whether you’re more inclined to show or to tell, just know that with practice, you’ll find the exact style that works for you. And when that happens, you’ll show everyone (sorry, we couldn’t resist!) what you’re made of as a writer.

Do you struggle to show, not tell? Leave any questions, concerns, or tips in the comments below!

9 responses

Diane Young says:

05/06/2018 – 21:27

Jim's talk was excellent. I tried to absorb every word he said, but in spots I had to back up the video to listen again for the concept of what he was putting across. The two takeaways that I really GOT were that you can "tell" in the early drafts, scribbled notes or an outline just to get it all down, but then come back later to rewrite and "show" what you told before. The second point that lit up for me is that the reader should start to have their own version of the story. It's all getting clearer in my mind!

Serena Graham says:

29/03/2020 – 22:09

How would you say this show not tell? The garden is beautiful. It was an exciting day. The cake was delicious.

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

31/03/2020 – 14:43

The flowers were in full bloom, their blue and yellow petals bringing the garden to life. The boys could barely contain their excitement, clambering over each other for a peek out the window. Frosting dripped from Kate's lips as each layer of chocolate sponege seemed to melt on her tongue.

↪️ Jasbina Sekhon-Misir replied:

18/06/2020 – 22:45

what do you think makes a garden beautiful?If I asked you what about it was beautiful, what would you say?The peony's blossoms greeted us as we walked towards the wooden garden gate. The herbaceous scent washed over me and the petals looked like painted raw silk. I ran my finger tips over the different shades of pink and white. I never thought cottage gardens could be so lush. Lilacs beaconed me deeper in and I saw an ancient rose bush against the grey stone wall. Carefully tended it was an explosion of roses. There was no escape. I am not the best, but just clearly describe what you are seeing that makes it beautiful as a sense experience.

Britney Whatt says:

27/05/2020 – 12:42

I struggle to show a lot. For example, how could you show a enchanting castle that belongs to a Goddess? How do you also show that there's been a shift in the aura of the place? A place where the air was warm and friendly suddenly changed to be sinister and chilling. I just need a few phrases to show an enchanting world

18/06/2020 – 22:49

What do you think the castle is made of? The castle was an icicle of white marble, glass and clear quartz. Ghostly bleached wood veined its way through the architecture, pushing the slender building higher like finger pointing towards the heavens.I was scared by something so delicate being so large, so high. Everything about it seemed like an afront to what was natural... or even possible.

↪️ ella replied:

31/07/2020 – 03:56

The place, which Johna could sense used to be glorious, was now dimmed, it seemed, casting an aura of forgottenness and something more sinister...

01/08/2020 – 15:48

Modern writing tends to be so very bad that I simply can't read it any more. It is all the same ubiquitous dull style, yet the authors have often studied 'creative writing'. It's a huge problem for me. The overly simplistic shorter sentences and the banal conversations have replaced the controlled impeccable sentences and well placed and relatively rare conversation. Even ten years ago the writing was so much better. Today's themes are all the same as each other and books marketed on the basis that they resemble another author, with covers that make you think the same. Authors get published when they have nothing much to say and then do that very badly. It's very tedious. I used to hear that the novel was dead when I was at university and I disagreed. Now I couldn't agree more. Shut the lid on the coffin and bang in those nails some one. Save us from all those people who think they have a novel wanting to get out. Really? You probably don't.I wish people would not stop others from writing in ways that that are more natural to them, it kills off creativity. Look at the other comments here - they all want to write in the 'correct' way. Please people if you must write, then be innovative and be free to express yourselves the way you want. With regard to show and tell, the oft trotted out phrase that limits people rather than helps them; sometimes show and sometimes tell. No one person gets to tell writers what they should do, not even Chekhov. You do you. It certainly doesn't seem to have improved writing when everyone is obsessed with doing it.

↪️ Harrumphrey replied:

18/08/2020 – 19:44

Agreed 100%. How many of these self-professed writing gurus who know all the "correct rules" have ever written a single piece of fiction worth reading? Very few, I'd guess. I can only imagine what most of great literature would look if these over-zealous editors got their hands on it. "Show, don't tell" -- really? So narrative paraphrase and summary aren't viable techniques? Hmm, that red-inks just about everything written since the epic of Gilgamesh. Idiotic bad advice producing more bad writers who in turn produce more worthless books.

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The Golden Rule: Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated

The golden rule is a moral principle which denotes that you should treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. For example, the golden rule means that if you want people to treat you with respect, then you should treat them with respect too.

The golden rule is an important philosophical principle, which has been formulated in various ways by many different groups throughout history, and which can be used to guide your actions in a variety of situations. As such, in the following article you will learn more about the golden rule, see how it can be refined, and understand how you can implement it in practice.

Main forms of the golden rule

The golden rule can be formulated in three main ways:

• Positive/directive form. The positive formulation of the golden rule states that you should treat others the same way you would want to be treated yourself. This suggests, for example, that if you want people to treat you with respect, then you should treat them with respect.
• Negative/prohibitive form. The negative formulation of the golden rule states that you should  not treat others in ways you would not want to be treated yourself. This suggests, for example, that if you don’t want people to say mean things to you, then you shouldn’t say mean things to them.
• Empathic/responsive form.  The empathic formulation of the golden rule states that when you wish something upon others, you also wish it upon yourself. This suggests, for example, that if wish ill toward someone else, then you are also wishing ill toward yourself.

Different people tend to be exposed to different forms of the golden rule to a different degree, based on factors such as the predominant religion in their society.

However, all these forms of the golden rule revolve around the same underlying concept and around the same underlying intention. Namely, all forms of the golden rule aim to help you treat others better, by using the way you yourself would want to be treated as a guide of how to behave.

Note: the negative form of the golden rule is sometimes referred to as the silver rule . In addition, the general concept of the golden rule is sometimes also referred to as the ethic of reciprocity. Finally, in some contexts, the term ‘golden rule’ is used to refer to an important rule or principle in a certain field (for example “the golden rule of engineering”), rather than to the golden rule in the context of morality.

Examples of the golden rule

There are many examples of ways in which the golden rule can be implemented, in its various forms. For example:

• If you want people to be polite to you, then you should be polite to them. (positive form)
• If you don’t want people to be rude to you, then you shouldn’t be rude to them. (negative form)
• If you want people to help you in a selfless manner, then you should also help them in a selfless manner. (positive form)
• If you don’t want people to selfishly deny you help that they can give, then you shouldn’t selfishly deny them the help that you can give. (negative form)
• If you wish positive things to someone else, then you also wish positive things to yourself. (empathic form)

Variants of the golden rule

The underlying principle behind the golden rule has been proposed in many different formulations throughout history, by various individuals and groups.

For instance, many philosophers proposed variations of this concept , as you can see in the following examples:

“That character is best that doesn’t do to another what isn’t good for itself.” — Zoroaster, Persia (circa 500 BC) “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” — Confucius, China (circa 500 BC) “We should conduct ourselves toward others as we would have them act toward us.” — Aristotle, Greece (circa 350 BC) “What you shun enduring yourself, attempt not to impose on others.”  — Epicetus, Greece (circa 150 AD) “To do as one would be done by, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself, constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality.” — John Stuart Mill, England (1861)

Similarly, the golden rule has also been featured in various formulations by many different religions :

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Christianity) “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.” (Judaism) “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.” (Islam) “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” (Buddhism) “This is the sum of duty: do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.” (Hinduism)

Keep in mind that many of these variants of the golden rule are translations from versions of it in other languages, such as the Latin “quod tibi non vis fieri, alteri ne feceris”, which can be translated as “do not do to another what you do not want to be done to you”.

In addition, keep in mind that the exact origins and phrasing of some of these quotes remain unclear. Nevertheless, the main takeaway from these varied examples is the fact that the underlying concept behind the golden rule was prevalent among a diverse range of groups throughout history.

Related concepts

When it comes to morality and ethics, there are various concepts that are closely associated with the golden rule.

The most notable of these concepts is Kant’s categorical imperative , which states that you should “act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law”, meaning that you should act a certain way only if you’re willing to have everyone else act the same way too.

Another such concept is referred to as Clarke’s Rule of Equity , and states that “Whatever I judge reasonable or unreasonable that another should do for me, that by the same judgment I declare reasonable or unreasonable that I should in the like case do for him”.

Criticism of the golden rule and potential solutions

Accounting for the wishes of others.

The main criticism that people mention when it comes to the golden rule, and particularly when it comes to its implementation in practice, is the fact that the golden rule suggests that others would like to be treated the same way you would like to be treated, which is not necessarily true .

This can lead to problematic situations, where one person might mistreat someone else under the guidance of the golden rule. For example, this problem could lead someone to make an overt romantic gesture toward someone that isn’t interested in it, simply because the person making the gesture wishes that someone would do the same for them.

This issue has been described by writer George Bernard Shaw, who famously said :

“Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may be not be the same.”

To address this issue, a variant of the golden rule has been developed, which is called the platinum rule , and which denotes that you should treat others the way they want to be treated.

However, this principle has also been criticized , for example because it can lead to issues in cases where it prompts you to act toward someone in a way that contradicts your own values. Furthermore, there are cases where it’s not possible to use the platinum rule, for example when you have no way of knowing what the other person wants, or where the golden rule leads to better outcomes, for example when it prompts someone to display more empathy in practice. As such, the platinum rule is not inherently better than the golden rule, and there are cases where it’s preferable to use the two rules together, or to use the golden rule by itself.

Note : the platinum rule is sometimes referred to by other names, such as the   copper rule or the inversion of the golden rule .

Conflict with other principles

Another notable criticism of the golden rule is the fact that, in certain situations, its application can lead to undesirable outcomes, when it conflicts with other guiding principles, including both moral principles as well as other types of principles, such as social or legal ones.

For example, if someone is convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison, the golden rule would suggest that we should let them go, because we would not want to be imprisoned ourselves. This remains the case even if we use the platinum rule, since the prisoner would likely also prefer to avoid going to prison.

However, this issue with the golden rule can be dealt with in a general manner, by viewing this principle as one of several principles that we use to guide our behavior as individuals and as a society.

Specifically, in the example described above, the golden rule would not be enough to prevent that person from going to prison, because most individuals and societies choose to place other laws and ethical principles above the golden rule, while still taking the golden rule into account. This means that they strive to implement the golden rule whenever possible, as long as it doesn’t clash with the implementation of a more important concept.

This notion is described, for example, in the writing of philosopher Henry More, who said that:

“The Evil you would not have done to your self, you must abstain from doing the same to another, as far as may be done without prejudice to a Third.” — In Enchiridion Ethicum (1667), Chap. 4, Noema XV

How to implement the golden rule

The basic way to implement the golden rule is to treat other people the way that you would want to be treated yourself. To help yourself do this, when considering a certain action toward someone, ask yourself “how would I like to be treated in this situation?”, or “how would I feel if someone treated me the way I’m planning to treat this person right now?”.

Furthermore, when doing this, you can use additional techniques, which will help you implement this rule effectively:

• Use cognitive techniques to help yourself assess the situation. For example, you can use self-distancing language by asking yourself “how would  you feel if someone treated you that way?”, to help yourself assess the situation more rationally. Similarly, you can ask yourself how you would feel if someone else treated someone that you care about the same way you’re thinking of treating a person right now.
• Consider the different variants of the golden rule. Specifically, this includes the positive formulation of the rule (treat others the same way you would want to be treated yourself), the negative formulation (don’t treat others in ways you wouldn’t want to be treated yourself), and the empathic formulation (when you wish something upon others, you also wish it upon yourself). This can be helpful since different people in different situations may connect better with different formulations of the golden rule.
• Consider using the platinum rule, either instead of or in addition to the golden rule. This involves considering not only how  you want to be treated, but also how the other person wants to be treated. To do this effectively, you can do things such as talk to the other person directly, to figure out how they would like to be treated. Alternatively, you can do things such as to talk to someone who knows them, or look at other relevant information, such as how they’d indicated they’d like to be treated in the past. Finally, it can also be helpful to use various debiasing techniques to help yourself assess the situation properly, for example by slowing down your reasoning process to reduce any egocentric biases that you might have, which could help you see things from their perspective.
• Take additional considerations into account. For example, if following the golden rule would lead you to cause someone harm, you can avoid following the rule if you believe that avoiding harm is more important in that situation.
• Keep the limitations of the golden rule in mind. These include the potential discrepancy between how you want to be treated and how others want to be treated, as well as the potential conflicts that may arise between the golden rule and other considerations. Essentially, this rule can be a useful rule of thumb to consider and apply in various situations, but that doesn’t mean that it should be the only guiding factor that you use in every situation.

Finally, note that these techniques can also be useful when it comes to getting people other than yourself to consider and use the golden rule.

Summary and conclusions

• The golden rule is a moral principle which denotes that you should treat others the way you want to be treated yourself.
• For example, the golden rule means that if you want people to treat you with respect, then you should treat them with respect too.
• The underlying concept behind the golden rule has been formulated by various individuals and groups throughout history, and it’s often seen as one of the key principles which are used to guide how people should behave toward each other.
• A notable limitation of the golden rule is the fact that others might not want to be treated the same way you want to be treated; this issue can be addressed by refining the golden rule into a variant called the platinum rule , which suggests that we should treat others the way they themself wish to be treated.
• When implementing the golden rule, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s meant to serve as a general rule of thumb rather than an absolute law, and there are situations where other guiding principles overrule it.

Other articles you may find interesting:

• The Platinum Rule: Treat Others the Way They Want to Be Treated
• Kant's Categorical Imperative: Act the Way You Want Others to Act
• It's Better to Be Smart than to Be Right

13 Rules for Writing Good Essays

To write a good essay, you have to make your message clear..

Posted March 7, 2018 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

To write a good university essay you have to make your message clear. This means organizing your key points, supporting them with a series of evidence-based arguments, and wrapping it all up at the end so the reader knows what they've learned. To do this well, you need to take the reader's perspective. If you can see what might trip them up as they read your work, then you can avoid pitfalls that will confuse or bore them. Here are some tips to help you avoid the easy pitfalls. Once understood, these rules can be broken. But if you're unclear on how to approach your writing, these tips can help.

1. Your opening paragraph should clearly describe what you are going to discuss in the essay. These three things are vital: What’s the thesis (or problem), why is it important, and how are you going to address it? If you have each of those items in your opening paragraph your reader will know what they are reading, why they are reading it, and what they can expect to get out of it.

2. Organize the essay so that it covers a set list of subtopics that each support your main thesis. If it's a long essay, you should break it up into sections with headings that focus on specific subtopics. Introduce these topics in the opening paragraph of the essay (see 1 above). Overall, you want to organize information so it is easy to understand and remember.

3. Start paragraphs with opening sentences that explain what the paragraph is going to say. Then write sentences that follow one from the other and are easy to read. Avoid paragraphs that are too long, that read like lists, or that have no main thesis. Summarize complex paragraphs with concise sentences that explain what the paragraph said.

4. Create transitions between paragraphs so that one paragraph follows from the next. You are trying to make it all easy to understand for your reader. The more organized your writing, the more clearly you will understand and communicate your own ideas.

5. Make your sentences work. Avoid long sentences. When in doubt, break long sentences into smaller sentences. Avoid sentences that are repetitive and don't provide new information. Throw away weak and empty sentences ("Angioplasty is an important procedure." "Emotions are a central element in people's lives."). Sentences also need to be crystal clear. You can check for clarity by making sure they read well. Read them out loud to yourself or have someone else read them out loud to you.

6. Explain novel terms (jargon) when you introduce them . Don’t assume your reader knows what terms mean. Avoid jargon except where it communicates key concepts. Imagine the reader knows less about the topic than you do.

7. In science writing, you can use synonyms for key concepts only when you are first explaining them. After that, use the same word every time to refer to the idea. For example, you might want to write, 'affect,' and then 'emotions,' and then 'feelings.' If you use different words every time you refer to an idea, your reader will get confused. Define a term and then use it consistently.

8. Be careful when you use words like ‘this’ or ‘that’ or ‘their’ or ‘those’ or 'these' or 'they.' These words are often not as tightly connected to what they reference as you think. Check every one of them and see if you can rewrite it more clearly. When you use *these* words carelessly, your reader will need to think more to understand what you are referring to. *That* will break the flow and make it harder to understand what you're actually try to say. *They* (the readers) won't know who you're referring to. By simply stating what you are referring to specifically, you make your writing clear. It is better to be repetitive than unclear.

9. Use concrete information. Concrete information is powerful, is appealing, it is easier to understand, and it sticks in people's memory . Concrete information includes things like examples, statistics, quotes, facts, and other details. The more sentences that go by without communicating new concrete information or ideas that develop your thesis, the more likely your reader is to get bored .

10. If you have an interesting idea, check to see if someone else has already had it. If they have, cite them. Chances are someone has at least hinted at your clever insight, and you can use them as a springboard to say something even more interesting. This will demonstrate scholarship and an understanding of the broader context.

11. Make sure everything is relevant. Don’t include random facts that are not relevant. Don't include extra words that you don't need ("actually," "very," "in many ways," "the fact that"). Don't include paragraphs that have lots of cool facts if they aren't related to your central thesis. These slow down your reader and confuse them because they expect to hear content that is related to your theme. After you write a first draft (where you are just trying to get ideas down on paper), see what you can cut out to focus your argument on what matters.

12. The very best essays provide their own critique. End with something like this before the final summary: Provide criticism of your key point (appropriately referenced). Then provide criticism of the criticizer that you referenced (with another reference). If you can do this well, then in most instances you will have demonstrated thorough understanding of the issues. After this, provide your conclusion.

13. In the conclusion, take a position, make a prediction, or propose some future actions (an experiment, an implication, a new question to be addressed, etc). Summarize your thesis and the evidence you’ve provided in a concise way without being wishy-washy.

You might also be interested in my top 10 job interview tips or top 10 science-based study skills.

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Thomas T. Hills, Ph.D. , is a professor of psychology at University of Warwick.

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Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide

Student resources, four golden rules.

Four golden rules for writing a social science essay …

Rule 1:  Answer the question that is asked.

Rule 2:  Write your answer in your own words.

Rule 3:  Think about the content of your essay, being sure to demonstrate good social scientific skills.

Rule 4:  Think about the structure of your essay, being sure to demonstrate good writing skills and observing any word limit.

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The Seven Essay Writing Rules

Essays have different rules than do stories, letters, poems, or journal writing. Essays respond to a writing prompt or writing topic. The writer is required to develop a thesis statement in the introductory paragraph, then follow with at least two body paragraphs which address the thesis statement, then end with a concluding paragraph.

The Common Core Writing Standards divides essays into argumentative and informational/explanatory. Argumentative essays argue a position or point of view; informational/ explanatory essays explain and analyze. Each of these types of essays focuses on the subject of the writing prompt and follows the following essay writing rules.

Keep in mind that essays are a very formal type of writing. Although they may certainly express opinions, essays present evidence in a fair and balanced manner. Think of presenting evidence in an essay as an attorney would present evidence in a court of law. All of the traditional rituals have to be followed. The attorney (writer) has introductory remarks (introductory paragraph) in which a verdict (think thesis statement) is stated. Next, the attorney (writer) presents the main points of the case and the evidence that supports them (body paragraphs). Finally, the attorney (writer) presents the closing arguments (conclusion paragraph).

Here are the seven essay writing rules:

1. Write in complete sentences. Intentional fragments, such as “Right?” don’t belong in essays.

2. Write in third person. Talk about the subject of the essay. Don’t personalize with first person pronouns such as I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours, ourselves. Don’t talk to the reader with second person pronouns such as you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves. The essay is to be objective (fair and balanced), not subjective (personalized). Rid essays of “I think,” “I believe,” and “In my opinion.”

3. Do not abbreviate. Abbreviations are informal and serve as short-cuts, so they don’t belong in essays. So write United States , not U.S. in essays.

4. Do not use slang, such as kids . Use official, or formal, words, such as children .

5. Do not use contractions. Again, essays are very formal, so write “do not” rather than “don’t.”

6. Do not use figures of speech. Be direct and precise in essay writing. Essays do not use poetic devices or idiomatic expressions. For example, don’t write “He let the cat out of the bag.” Instead, say “He shared a secret.”

7. Do not over-use the same words or phrases. For example, avoid over-use of the “to-be” verbs : is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been.

TEACHING ESSAYS BUNDLE

The author’s  TEACHING ESSAYS BUNDLE   includes the three printable and digital  resources students need to master  the  CCSS W.1 argumentative and W.2 informational/explanatory essays. Each  no-prep  resource allows students to work at their own paces via mastery learning. How to Teach Essays  includes 42 skill-based essay strategy worksheets (fillable PDFs and 62 Google slides), beginning with simple 3-word paragraphs and proceeding step-by-step to complex multi-paragraph essays. One skill builds upon another. The Essay Skills Worksheets include 97 worksheets (printables and 97 Google slides) to help teachers differentiate writing instruction with both remedial and advanced writing skills. The  Eight Writing Process Essays  (printables and 170 Google slides) each feature an on-demand diagnostic essay assessment, writing prompt with connected reading, brainstorming, graphic organizer, response, revision, and editing activities. Plus, each essay includes a detailed analytical (not holistic) rubric for assessment-based learning.

Writing essay , essay program , essay rules , essay strategies , essay worksheets , five paragraph essay , Mark Pennington , Teaching Essay Strategies , writing rules

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Dan O’Neill’s Top 10 Rules for Academic Writing

Dan is a prolific writer, his last work was published in the journal Nature Sustainability . We have interviewed Dan in the past about the writing process. In this post Dan shares with us his top 10 writing tips.

Academic writing is a funny business. It’s not done to entertain, as in the case of fiction, but to communicate a set of ideas as carefully and unambiguously as possible. My suggestions for academic writing are unlikely to help you produce a best-solving novel, but they may help you publish a good journal article. Drumroll, please!

• Aim for clarity. Explain your ideas as clearly and simply as you can. Imagine that you’re explaining your findings to your grandmother, or a friend down at the pub. Avoid jargon and define any terms that your readers may not know.
• Work from an outline. Create a point-form outline of the ideas you want to cover in your article before you start writing. Although your plan may change as the article develops, an outline is a good place to start.
• Be aware of the 80/20 rule. Applied to writing, the 80/20 rules suggests that you can probably generate 80% of the content in 20% of the time. Focus on getting your ideas down on paper, even if it looks messy. Then go back and edit carefully. Do not try to write perfectly-referenced sentences in the first draft.
• Start in the middle. I personally have trouble motivating myself to write: a lot of coffee is required! I don’t particularly enjoy the process, so one of the things I try to do is make the process as easy on myself as possible. Start writing whichever section you are most comfortable with. For me, as a quantitative researcher, this section is generally not the Introduction, but more likely the Results, where I am simply describing what I have found.
• Don’t write about things you don’t quite understand. Muddled writing is a symptom of muddled thinking. If you don’t understand what you’ve written, then it’s unlikely your audience will do much better. In general, you should know more about the subject than what you actually write, not less!
• Pay attention to paragraphs. Discuss only one idea per paragraph, and keep paragraphs relatively short (I rarely write paragraphs that are longer than 10 lines). The first sentence of each paragraph should tell the reader what the paragraph is about. You should be able to follow an article simply by reading the first sentence of each paragraph.
• Pay attention to sentences. Keep sentences short and to the point. Avoid run-on sentences and avoid sentence fragments. If a sentence is longer than three lines, it’s probably too long.
• Write in the active voice. Think about who is doing the action in the sentence, and put them (or it) at the start. Avoid using the passive voice (e.g. “It has been demonstrated by some experts that…”). Instead, say “Smith and Jones (2012) demonstrate that…”
• Avoid vague pronouns. Words like “this” and “it” can spell trouble. Be careful every time you use them. Ensure that “this” is followed by the thing it is describing. Don’t say: “I conducted the experiment. This made Jim angry.” Instead, say: “I conducted the experiment. My findings made Jim angry.”
• Edit by cutting and pasting. Cutting down a 12,000-word draft to an 8,000-word article can be challenging. It’s not always clear what should stay and what should go, and sometimes you need to remove material that you’ve become attached to. Instead of consigning text to oblivion, cut and paste it into another file. The psychology is easier, and you’ll become a better editor in the process.

Which of these tips was the most helpful for your work? Do you have additional tips that work for you? Let us know. Leave your comments below!

Post by Dan O'Neill

Dan O'Neill is a Lecturer in Environmental and Ecological Economics at the University of Leeds . He is the leader of the Economics and Policy for Sustainability Research Group . His research focuses on the changes that would be needed to achieve a sustainable economy within planetary boundaries, and the relationships between resource use and human well-being.

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The Golden Principle of Ethics and Its Arguments Essay

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The golden principle is occasionally referred to by many as the golden rule. Although it is still the same thing, there is some slight variation between a rule and a principle. A rule dictates what is to be done while principles provide the coverage on which certain rules, actions, and systems are to be observed and scrutinized. It is on such a basis that this paper observes the various aspects of this very important principle in morality and its influence on the various systems and ecologies in the lives of humanity as well as other living and nonliving things. Everything in the universe is subject to this principle as it operates on all spheres of life but at very different levels. For example, the aspect under which it works in lower organisms is very different from that of the higher organisms due to the ecological and biological differences. The higher organisms have more developed minds, biological and emotional systems that determine their way of life. they possess a more organized way of association as you go higher in the hierarchy of biological development and advancement. The most organized form is found in the man who is a very active social being with well-kept dignity attained through his power to reason. This reasoning influence gives man the authenticity to follow hence accept or refute such a principle.

This principle revolves around the relationship between man and fellow man as well as the animals around him. More emphasis is on the relationship with fellow man. It is a widely accepted principle in most religions as well as the aspects of moral philosophy. It forms the basis of human rights as we shall later discuss in this paper. As a widely accepted concept, it has been translated into very many forms and therefore given several definitions but they all sum up to the same thing. The principle stands out to give a code that almost all human beings ascribe to whether written in their laws of the land, their religion, and faith, or in their governance systems and institutions. The bottom line that fully gives the true and complete meaning of this principle is “Treat others with love and worth as you would love to be treated”. This presents several issues to be put into consideration.

The first issue is the issue of treating others. this implies the action you take upon the fellow person. They may be motivated by one: your selfish desires where you only act right in order to gain some particular personal interests. This does not then define the rule of morality and such a person is perceived to be a “selfish devil”. This means that in any case if the benefit which one is receiving is taken away, the person would not consider doing what is morally right but would drift to some immoral actions without care of what will happen to the other person. This is therefore referred to as the outer shell moral order. The opposite is where you treat people and other creatures out of love for them without considerations of what gains you will get. This you do just because you believe, know, and are sure it is the right thing to do. This is not brought by an outer feeling or any external influences but rather an internal feeling of empathy compassion and care. Such a person who handles morality with such a concern as the view is said to have genuine morality. genuine morality is a true show of the golden principle as it encompasses not only doing unto others as you would love to be done to you but goes way into risking one’s own life to save a fellow person as well as in greater heights of giving. it was once said that it is better to give than to receive and this is clearly evident in the essence of the golden rule. It carries selflessness and a big aspect of service to fellow humanity. If everybody in the world followed such an aspect of giving then the world would truly be a better place.

The second issue portrayed in the attributes of the golden rule is a clear-cut aspect of love. Love has several definitions and understandings depending on who it comes from and to whom it is directed. In the aspect of morality love is a very key issue. Most philosophers would like to maintain the philosophy without this aspect but render the rule inadequate and incomplete. Without the aspect of love, the rule would be “Treat others as you would like to be treated”. This presents a very great controversy in terms of what one would like the treatment administered to him would be like. When the issue of love is omitted one would not care to be harshly treated as some people hate themselves and life to the extent of committing suicide. Others view some ways of life so badly that if it was to happen to them they would not mind being mistreated or killed. All this is not truly a slight thing although it is what some want. Those who find pleasure in pain, touches, and drugs will inflict the same to others in the name that this is what they would want to be done to them. It, therefore, shows out that the aspect of love is vital.

In self-love, one would not advocate for such a bad thing like touches to be done to him and so in the same aspect of love, he would not agree to do any harm to another human despite the fact that there are aspects of hate that this person discredits in the fellow lives of others.

This, therefore, attributes to a great moral and dignified way of handling fellow persons. Several forms of love dictate different measures like the parental love given to children may watch them cry for hazardous equipment or tool.

This love seeks to protect though it does not seem to fulfill the immediate need of the child it saves the child from danger. If in this case, we were to say that we treat others as we would love them to treat us it, therefore, shows that since as kids we would not like to be denied something interesting to us (even as adults) therefore we would expose these children to the danger by letting them have the hazardous item.

In the third aspect that focuses on the worth of us as individuals as well as the worth of others, other people are to be treated with dignity and respect. They need to be shown some value because we are all valuable and life is such a valuable aspect that its removal deserves condemnation in all strongest possible terms. Each person regardless of status carries himself with some certain degree of value or dignity. It, therefore, calls for one to value others as you would expect them to value you in accordance with the golden rule. This rule thus, therefore, doesn’t advocate for slavery or human mistreatment in the name of the benefit of another person. Everyone is considered to have the potential for equal worth and dignity given the time, resources, and opportunities as the other more dignified persons (Pfaff, Donald W. p 200). This, therefore, results in freedom on the part of every person freedom that does not infringe on the other person’s life.

The forth aspect in the golden rule is the aspect of reciprocation. This in simple terms defines giving back to others. You are to give back to the other persons as much as you would expect them to give to you. The product of such an incident or condition is harmony, peace, unity and understanding.

The overall explanation for the Golden principle is therefore a moral way of ensuring that every person treats or handles the fellow human persons as they would appreciate to be handled were they in the same situation. A key focus should also be made on the feelings of the person being handled.

The Golden principle of morality is given the superiority aspect due to the fact that it handles the people and individuals at different capacities and different aspects of their living. It considers the majority would agree to be compared to one single individual with a different idea. The idea that this principle is appreciated by most of the people reduces the conflict that is likely to arise due to it. For example it is almost unanimously accepted by most religions, governments, races and cultures that murder is bad and so is stealing. Its universal acceptance as a rule or principle makes it supreme as compared to philosophies like the utilitarianism philosophy by John Stuart mill which outlines that anything or event that result to aggregate happiness is morally right(M.G. Singer. p 270). This is not so in the golden rule due to the fact that not all aspects that bring happiness are truly right in the contest of observing dignity for others as well as providing the same shear happiness to the victim. For example it may bring shear happiness for a person to steal and end up in great wealth but this is not so for the person from whose goods are being stolen.

The issue of conflicting interest is also to be observed if any principle or philosophy is to be justified as supreme. In most cases what may be an individual’s interest may actually not be the true issues and hardships in life with more regard than life itself. A person who values his job so much to the extent of harming his body due to loss of such a job portrays a great conflict in interest. As universally accepted, there is nothing to be given more value and interest than life itself. In this case the interest of this person is his work while the true interest is life. The golden rule therefore advocates for the observance of true interest hence giving it another aspect of superiority.

Another thing that gives the rule a superior touch is the consideration of reasoning and understanding power. This is the power that differentiates the human beings from animals. In animals they do what occurs to be OK to them and to their interest. Very little consideration is given to the focus of the outcome or results of the actions. But in man a pause is given to think on what actions to be taken. They deliberate on what is the truth. They seek to learn and know the details of anything before they embark on to the aspect. This makes them accept and fully believe in this acceptance. This can be easily seen from their language which is not only communicative but assertive, descriptive and rationale (M.G. Singerp 270).

A principle that keeps all the above into consideration can therefore be considered supreme as compared to those that don’t.

The client is outlined on aspects of morality as one whose interest are to be put into great consideration. The interest should be true and not conflicting in order to have a qualification into the golden principle of morality. When put into a weigh scale the clients to be given first priority are those on a higher carder of life compared to those in lower ones. An example of a pet animal and some lower vertebrate lizard can explain this. The life of the pet as well as its interest should be given more focus as compared to the non emotional, non realized interests of the lower vertebrates.

parasites may not know the harm they cause to the host and killing them to improve the health of the host is one accepted thing in the client observation of the golden rule. The ranking of persons and organisms in the codes of true acceptable interests thus increases the superiority of this rule. Crucial conditions of consciousness and interest in the relevant senses (Jouni Reinikainen p. 156).

Apart from the clients the rules also considers the moral agents. These are the persons who are to administer treatments to their fellow persons. Such agents are given specific characteristics that they may fulfill in order to qualify to be true moral agents in accordance to the principle. The first characteristic that the principle puts into focus is the empathy situation of the agent. The agent is expected to be able to have a feeling/sense of what he would encounter were he to be put in the shoes of the client with such a feeling then the inward emotions would result to the actions that the moral agent would take.

This therefore defines both the internal and external forms of empathy. The two forms are connected to each other as the inner empathy prompts out to the external empathy (This is not a must). Although some people like the so called selfish devils may portray the outward empathy without any inner feelings or the ones with inner feelings may lack the ability to express their empathy externally such cases are very few. The agent is also expected to be reasonable and understanding in order to qualify to be the moral agent under this rule. Reasoning incorporates the formation of arguments to determine the truth about a matter or a conclusion. This therefore prevents one from getting into a situation or an idea. The power of reasoning aids one to treat fellow persons with more decency and humanity. This is a good basis for the treatment of others hence boosts up the power in the rule. One is expected to be understanding and rational.

It is under this rule that a moral agent is also expected to look into the true collective interest of the persons hence ensure that no unfair deals are done and whatever action is taken is acceptable to nearly all the persons involved.

The last analysis given to show that the golden rule is superior to any other rules in morality is the attribute that it takes into consideration the inter-relationships of persons. The relationships are considered to be morally right if they keep up the values of the individuals involved. In valuing the clients there are two aspects into it one is the value of a client as a means to an end and the second is valuing a client as an end on itself.

The first aspect is seen as immoral and selfish where you value an individual for certain gains out of self love there is cultivation of abilities that improve each other’s understandings hence their values and a view of them not as a way to get something but rather an end to ones ideas and actions.

If every person observed the golden rule to true love, selflessness and true interests, then no one would hurt another person crating great harmony in the world. The issues presented in this rule can also not give out any doubt as the key aspects of treating others right, self love, love for others as well as treating oneself right are all morally right.

The evaluation of value and dignity in the consideration of what true interest are to be given to the first priorities then taking all lives to equal are all moral rights. This leaves no cast of doubt on the moral aspect of the golden rule with no objection of any of its attribute hence can be regarded as the supreme principle. The fact that it is the main guiding aspect in most humanity forming the basis of human rights as well as the key relationship foundations for most religions like; Christians, Islam, Buddhist, Hindu, Judaism, Baha’i and Taoism gives it superiority in the aspects of faith henc3e it can be accepted as a supreme principle (Immanuel Kan. p 68).

Works cited

• Immanuel Kan. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Cambridge University Press: London. (1997) p. 68
• M.G. Singer. The Ideal of a Rational Morality. Cambridge University Press. London. (1999) p. 270
• Jouni Reinikainen The Golden Rule and the Requirement of Universalizability Journal of Value Inquiry. 39(2): 155-168, 2005. (p 155-168)
• Pfaff, Donald W. The Neuroscience of Fair Play: Why We (Usually) Follow the Golden Rule . Dana Press, The Dana Foundation: New York. p 200
• UrbanDharma.org Web.
• Farming Effects on Golden Sun Moth
• “The Golden Ass” by Lucius Apuleius
• Folding the Excessive Golden Parachutes for CEOs
• Aristotle’s - The Ethics of Virtue
• Act Utilitarianism: Term Definition
• Moral Being and Vicious Individual by Kant
• Foundations and Concepts of Ethical Relativism
• Utilitarianism: John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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The One Golden Rule of Writing That You Can’t Ignore

by Eric Cummings

I learned what I consider the “Golden Rule of Writing” – the only rule that can help every writer – in the first creative writing class I ever took. Of course, I didn’t learn the rule immediately, or even in the first class. My classmates and I first had to learn how different we were from one another as writers.

Our teacher, an old bald Caribbean man with missing front teeth and a stoop, began by asking the class, “How do you write?”

Some students wrote on computers, others in journals ; I wrote long hand on legal pads. Some wrote in the morning at their home, others at night with friends; I wrote by myself at the library in the afternoon. Our professor wrote memoir fiction about his sexual escapades in the Caribbean standing at a lectern a la Hemingway. We wrote literary fiction, memoirs, and detective stories; newspaper articles, editorials, and e-mails. We were men and women, young and old, lazy and prolific, borderline illiterate and consummate professionals. Some of us needed two drafts, others needed dozens. We were a microcosm of the rest of the writing universe: no two writers write the same way.

The problem with learning the “rules” for writing is that none of them apply to everyone.

How can any rule possibly apply to everyone? I co-write my blog with my twin brother, and we don’t write the same way. What rule can cover journalism and blogging, poetry and prose; authors like James Joyce, who struggled to write seven words a day, or Nora Roberts, who writes multiple books a year? If a golden rule exists, it needs to unite all writers.

I learned the Golden Rule of Writing on my second day in class, as my story about a farmer and a mule was read aloud. I had spent some time writing it, one day rewriting it, and another afternoon editing it. I was nervous but confident. It was a good story.

The story began, “Light barely flooded into the room.”

“Wait.” Less than a sentence in, the Professor stopped the student reading my story. He turned to me, “Eric, what do you mean, ‘Light barely flooded into the room.’?”

“Well, it is sunrise, and the sun is coming up.” I said.

“But how can light ‘barely flood’ in? Do you mean the word flood?”

Light could either barely trickle in, or flood in, but it couldn’t do both. The lesson wasn’t that I needed to be clearer and more precise with my language–though I did–it was that I didn’t know what my words meant. I didn’t own the words on the page. The questions the professor asked us over the course of the quarter were always the same, “What do you mean?” “What did you intend here?” or “Why did you use this word?”

What is my Golden Rule of Writing? It’s this:

Intend every word you write.

Be aware of what your words mean, and make sure that the meaning aligns with what you are trying to say. Writing is communication; don’t we all want to communicate as accurately as possible?

(I hear the guy in the back saying, what if I want my writing to be confusing? Then be confusing, but do it intentionally.)

Notice how my professor coached me on my writing. He didn’t tell me what words to use, he didn’t tell me my mistake. He asked questions. Perhaps I meant to put the words together, as a poetic statement. Or perhaps the idea or the image I meant to convey wasn’t being conveyed. He made me aware of what my words meant. The lesson was clear: these were my words, dammit, and I needed to own them.

As my above example shows, the Golden Rule of Writing is not an easy one, especially when you write for readers . Your intention needs to jibe with what you want them take away from you work. (Perhaps you write only in your journal. You follow the Golden Rule every time you write, because you express what you mean every time you write, because you are writing for yourself.)

Below, I have seven tips for implementing intentionality behind your writing, to better convey what you want to say.

1. When you revise your work ask yourself, “Does this convey what I want to convey?” Ask yourself this question after every line, especially when writing fiction.

2. Think about your reader . Who is your intended audience? If you’re writing your church newsletter, then you probably aren’t going to want to include any swear words. Think about your reader, and write to them, being aware of how they will react to your words.

3. Think about the meaning of every word you write . James Joyce spent whole days writing just a handful of words, spending hours thinking about them and their meaning. Now, I hear you saying, “Whoa, I don’t have that much time.” True. But you can ask yourself, “Do I really know what this word means?” “Am I using it correctly?” “Will my intended audience get what I am trying to say?” Spend more time on longer sentences and bigger words.

4. Look out for especially “arty writing” The best writing is unlike anything anyone has ever seen before. But I’m not F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce or Cormac McCarthy, and neither are you. So when you write something especially clever, unique or “arty,” double check it to make sure it makes sense. I learned this rule from personal experience.

5. Use a dictionary . Check it to see if that word means what you think it means.

6. Listen to podcasts about grammar, and read books and blogs about it. Did you know that non-plussed means confused, or bewildered? Do you know what a gerund is? Neither did I, until I started educating myself. I recommend the podcasts Grammar Grater and Grammar Girl , the books Writing With Style By Trimble and The Writer’s Reference . If you are revising your work and something strikes you as strange, look it up. It will add to your overall knowledge of grammar, usage and the written word.

7. Read . This is the single best way to add to your vocabulary and your knowledge of language and writing.

Ultimately, the Golden Rule of Writing is not about conformity, but freedom. Do you dislike semi-colons? Don’t use them. Do you want to start sentences with “and,” “but,” or “because?” Then go ahead, it’s your writing. If you want to use a word incorrectly, go ahead. But use it incorrectly on purpose, knowing the implications of that misuse.

With the Golden Rule of Writing, you are free to convey whatever idea, thought or image you want. You are free to tell whatever story, write whatever essay, or compose any poem you want. But write it with intention.

What’s your Golden Rule of Writing? let me know in the comments below.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

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11 Basic Writing Rules – Common Mistakes & Fixes [2024 Upd.]

Getting your message across may seem a bit harder online than in real life. Though, a whole lot of methods, including audio tracks, videos, animations, and other visuals, are available for you at any second. And let’s not forget about good ol’ text. So, what do you do to win this game?

You need to learn some rules. Writing rules, in our case. It is one of the most accessible methods of sharing your thoughts and ideas.

What’s the bottom line?Follow the basic essay writing rules prepared by our experts below. With them, you’ll be able to deliver perfect messages loud and clear. Make sure to check the provided examples, so it’s easier to understand what we’re talking about.

• 💬 Keep It Short
• 🗣️ Use Active Voice
• 🆗 Include Simple Words
• ⬇ Insert Quotes
• 🔀 Avoid Weak Writing
• ☑ Use Punctuation
• 🖋️ Make It Specific
• 📫 Address Readers
• ↩ Avoid Confusion
• ⏫ Be Consistent
• 🧱 Construct Properly

1. 💬 Keep Your Sentences Short and Simple

To leave your readers satisfied and give them what they came for, you need to act fast. You don’t have time to ramble about random things, so your sentences should be short and straightforward.

The golden rules are:

• You need to be able to fit up to 35 words in it.
• The main focus should be on verbs and nouns.

Also, there’s no need to search for fancy adjectives and adverbs when simpler alternatives are available (we’ll talk about it later). Once again, with short and simple sentences, you’ll be able to beat the reader’s short attention span and deliver your message before they decide to walk away.

2. 🗣️ Use Active Voice in Your Writing

Your writing needs to be more friendly to your readers. They’ll feel more comfortable when you speak directly to them (later, we’ll talk about addressing your reader to make them feel even more comfortable).

Let me help you.

This rule of writing is simple. Just use active voice instead of passive. You’ll see that the text becomes more engaging right away.

3. 🆗 Include Simple Words and Word Combinations

As mentioned earlier, short and simple sentences help to deliver your messages quicker and more effectively. But what’s the point of having short sentences when they’re filled with words that a regular person would rarely use in everyday life?

No one will ever want to look up the meaning of a certain word in the dictionary. Even if you have the best dictionary for writers in the world. Especially when quickly scanning through an article.

It isn’t a grammar rule per se, but it can save you much trouble. When struggling to make strong points, try making your writing easier to digest. With simpler words and word combinations, the message itself becomes clearer.

4. ⬇ Insert Quotes Properly

Sometimes, there’s no better way to strengthen your writing or to make a point than to share other people’s ideas or words. But the infamous short attention span gets in the way here, too. So, you need to make the quotes as efficient as possible.

Here’s the deal:

Include the amount of text that’s just enough to make your point. There’s no need to insert huge paragraphs just for the sake of context. Instead, you can make a short introduction to make a point of a quote clearer.

As long as you don’t alter the meaning, you can edit a quote if it helps to clarify the message.

According to the English grammar rules, it’s also essential to use proper punctuation:

• Add a colon before the quotation if you introduce it with an independent clause.
• Use a comma before the quotation if you introduce it with a verb that indicates expression.
• If there’s a quotation within a quotation, then use single quotation marks for the quotation within the quotation, such as in the third example below.

5. 🔀 Avoid Weak Writing (Use Action Verbs and Strong Adjectives)

So here’s the question:

How can you make strong points with weak writing?

Every word you use has to show that you know what you’re talking about. Your writing needs to express confidence. If it does, your reader won’t have any doubts that they will get what they want.

Include visceral verbs that can help with expressing action. While focusing on them, don’t forget that adjectives can strengthen your writing too. Just make sure not to use ones that require the words very or really before them. Those aren’t strong adjectives and will weaken your writing.

6. ☑ Use Proper Punctuation to Keep the Right Meaning of Your Sentence

Let me clarify this rule for you:

This writing rule doesn’t mean that you have to use the proper rules of punctuation . Instead, it’s about ditching some of those to deliver the right meaning.

A clear message is what makes people keep reading. And you want your visitors to stay on the page as long as possible. This will never happen if your writing is confusing and ambiguous.

So, if a sentence needs an extra comma, add it, even if punctuation rules tell you not to.

If you can separate two thoughts with a period instead of a comma, do so. This way, the meaning of both sentences will be exact and easier to understand.

7. 🖋️ Make Your Writing Specific

While keeping your sentences short and to the point, you also need to provide your reader with enough details. It may seem that this writing rule goes into controversy with the first one.

But here’s the thing:

It will help to make your writing more balanced. You just need to stay focused and make sure that the details you describe are on point. Being specific will help make it easier for you to share your ideas with readers. In turn, your writing becomes effective.

8. 📫 Address Your Reader

Nothing’s more comforting for the reader than when you address them personally. And it doesn’t mean that you have to call them by their name.

Simply use the word “you” whenever it’s possible.

This single word will make your reader feel that you’re in the same room, having a friendly conversation. This is the basic rule of writing and one of the easiest to follow.

9. ↩ Avoid Confusing Terms and Jargon

Not everyone is an expert in a particular sphere. Even if someone is trying to find the information on a specific topic, this doesn’t mean that they know something about it. Readers don’t usually enjoy checking dictionaries every two pages.

You need to keep your writing free of niche jargon and terminology as much as possible. And if it’s impossible to avoid it, provide your reader with more information so that they can understand what you’re talking about.

If your article is easy to understand, it will attract a wider audience and will keep them reading. In particular, if the English language isn’t native to them.

10. ⏫ Be Consistent When Writing

Delivering your message is essential.

But you also want your readers to believe in what you’re saying.

You need to build trust. This basic rule of writing goes together with addressing your reader and making your text specific. It also has to be consistent.

After stating your main point, you need to strengthen it by putting forward additional proof and facts. Describe your idea from different perspectives and points of view.

Even more, you also want to have consistency in the way you build your sentences. Which brings us to the next writing rule.

11. 🧱 Use Properly Constructed Sentences to Make Strong Points

Some might say that you can emphasize specific thoughts and ideas with an exclamation mark . Authors even try to incorporate it in essays and other academic writing.

Here’s the kicker:

This method is relatively poor and won’t add the strength that your writing needs.

Build your sentences correctly. This way, you won’t need any help from exclamation marks to make a strong point. You’ll show readers that it’s worth paying attention to what you talk about without such tools. You can even utilize a text compactor to make the content as concise as possible.

One of the great ways for your sentences to make strong points is to use a parallel structure. It means offering multiple ideas and using consistent grammar forms for a smoother delivery. Incorporating correct prepositional phrases, for example, will demonstrate your writing skills and have a positive effect on your reader.

In conclusion, it’s fair to mention that you can find many more writing rules to pay attention to than just the ones that we’ve listed here. We, however, listed the ones that are easier to follow. Even though these are quite basic writing rules, they often get ignored, leading to poor writing results.

We’re not telling you that you need to follow them all. Following even a single rule of writing can bring you desired results. So feel free to experiment and find ones that are the most suitable for you.

Thank you for reading the article! Share it with others and let us know your opinion in the comment section below.

Learn more on this topic:

• Useful Revising and Editing Checklists
• Essay Checklist: How to Write an A+ Essay
• Common Mistakes in Essay Writing
• Effective Writing Strategies for College Students
• How to Control Words per Page
• 200 Powerful Words to Use Instead of “Good”
• List of Credible Sources
• An Ultimate Punctuation Guide

🔗 References

• 5 Writing Rules That Are Really Guidelines: Brittney Ross, Grammarly Blog
• Effective Writing Grammar Rules: Grammar Book
• Tips on Grammar, Punctuation and Style: Kim Cooper, for the Writing Center at Harvard University
• Count and Noncount Nouns, Basic Rules: Purdue Online Writing Lab, College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University
• 10 Rules for Good Writing: Lifehack
• Rules of Style A-to-Z: Writing Style Guide, Western Michigan University
• 5 Comma Rules: Center & Resources, Writing center, Hamilton College
• Subject-Verb Agreement: Grammar, Academic Guides at Walden University
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A branch of linguistics that studies all human sounds is called phonetics. It analyses the production (articulation), transmission (sound), and perception (hearing) of sounds. The phonetic system of a language represents the way people use sounds in their speech. A language’s phonology classifies these sounds into vowels and consonants, long...

Public speaking and video recordings can cause panic for the most level-headed people. For some reason, a crowd of listeners in front of us makes our tongue refuse to move, our throat stops to make sounds, and our brain fails to generate ideas. Meanwhile, public speaking is much easier than...

Thanks a lot for sharing such a helpful article. you made my presentation assignment super easier. Great work. GOD BLESS YOU : )

Thank you so much. You made my assignment easier which is on writing skills. I need to mention it in my references, will you please provide me your full name and place. I will be really grateful.

Kindly refer this content as a webpage. You do not need any names or places.

The rules were written well and easy to understand. I learned more reading this than my own English textbook. Thank you.

Thank you so much for the advice Donna, I will definitely take it into account when writing my book.

Hi Donna – I love your article here. It contains lots of useful tools and tips to write well. I conduct training workshops in email and business writing skills, and am always surprised how many people are still writing like it’s the 60s. Using old-fashioned expressions, passive voice, and writing in a completely different style to how they speak. Life shouldn’t be so difficult! Thanks for this great reminder. I’ll tweet it too.

Dear Shirley,

Thank you very much for taking a moment and writing your feedback. I really appreciate the kind words and sharing my article!

All the best,

Thank you Donna, great resource and interesting read!

Top 10 Golden Rules for Essay Writing

Table of Contents

Most students will be required to write essays during their academic careers. Essays may be assigned for homework or as part of an examination. There are several reasons why teachers assign essays.

First, essays allow students to explore a topic in depth. Teachers can assign specific topics or ask students to choose their own topics. Second, essays provide an opportunity for students to express their own thoughts and opinions on a topic. 

Third, essays help students develop critical thinking skills. By analyzing and evaluating evidence and forming an opinion based on that analysis, students learn to think critically. Finally, essays help students develop writing skills. The ability to write effectively is essential for success in both academic and professional careers.

What are the 10 Tips to Writing a Winning Essay?

Even though essay writing may seem like a daunting task, it is not impossible. With a little bit of planning and effort, you can write a winning essay. Here are simple but powerful hacks to help you write a perfect essay:

Choose a topic that interests you

One mistake that most students make is choosing a topic that they don’t care about. If you are not interested in the topic, it won’t be easy to write a good essay. Choose a topic you are passionate about or want to learn more about.

Do your research

Before you begin writing, do some research on the topic. Read books, articles, and websites. Collect as much information as you can. This will help you develop a strong thesis statement and support your arguments with evidence.

Create a thesis statement

A thesis statement can be just a sentence or two. It aims to state the main point of your essay. It should be clear and concise, and it should be supported by your evidence.

Draft an outline

Once you have developed a thesis statement, create a rough outline of your essay. This will help you stay on track and ensure that all of your arguments are properly developed. When writing the outline, try to think of each paragraph as a mini-essay. This way, you will be sure to cover all of the important points.

Write your introduction

The introduction of your essay should introduce your topic. It should also state your thesis statement. Use it to provide some background information to help your readers understand the issue. To ensure that your introduction is effective, be sure to include a hook. A hook is a sentence or two that grabs your readers’ attention and makes them want to read more.

Write your body paragraphs

The body paragraphs of essays are meant to support the thesis statement, and that’s what yours should do as well. Each paragraph should discuss a different argument or piece of evidence. Be sure to provide ample supporting evidence and use citations when necessary. Try not to overload your readers with information. Instead, focus on the most important points.

Write your conclusion

The conclusion should restate your thesis statement and summarize your main arguments. It should also leave your readers with a final thought to consider. Most importantly, the conclusion should not introduce new information.

Check your grammar and spelling

One of the most important things to remember when writing an essay is to check your grammar and spelling. Be sure to use proper punctuation and sentence structure. The best way to catch mistakes is to read your essay backward, starting with the last sentence. There are also online editing tools you can take advantage of to help you to catch mistakes in your paper.

Edit and revise

Once you have finished writing your essay, take some time to edit and revise it. Make sure that your arguments are clear and concise and that your grammar and spelling are correct. It is always a good idea to have someone else read your essay, as they may be able to catch mistakes that you missed.

If you constantly struggle to write good essays, collaborate with paper writing services

If you are having trouble writing your essays, it may be helpful to collaborate with a paper writing service . A good paper writing service will help you develop a strong thesis statement, organize your arguments, and catch mistakes. 

Most students have noted an improvement on their writing skills when working with professional essay writers so this is also something you can keep an eye on when working with paper writing services. Now, when choosing a paper writing service, take time to research the company and read reviews. This will help you find a reputable service that will meet your needs.

The Bottom Line

We acknowledge that writing an essay can be a daunting task. However, if you follow these ten golden rules, you should be on your way to writing successful essays even if you don’t consider yourself a skilled writer. So, take a deep breath and get started. And a final word on professional essay writers – if you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t think you can do a good job, professional essay help may be the best decision you make this semester.

Join the thousands who have sharpened their business writing skills with our award winning courses.

Copyright © 2024 Businesswritingblog.com.

Home — Essay Samples — Philosophy — Personal Philosophy — Philosophy of the Golden Rule

Philosophy of The Golden Rule

• Categories: Personal Life Personal Philosophy Society

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Published: Jun 17, 2020

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Business | Communication Planning | Communications | public relations | strategic communications | writing

November 23, 2016.

• Substance, or what you say
• Style. How you deliver and the words you choose to use.
• Impact . Did the speaker make a difference in the audience? Does it have a call to action?

But before you write the first word, you need to determine the framework surrounding your speech. Is it going to be persuasive or informative? Is it a daytime or evening event? Who will your audience be? Why should they care about your message? How will they benefit from the information you give them? Will you be giving the speech or are you writing it for someone else? In business, many times you’ll be called upon to write for your CEO. To successfully write for another speaker, you need access and collaboration with the speaker (CEO). If you don’t have it, you need to ask for it. You need to spend some prep time with this person. How do they gesture? Do they have phrases they naturally use in conversation? You’ll need: a Pre-draft meeting, a first draft meeting, a revision meeting, rehearsal, and a post speech interview. I suggest having as few people as possible there and make sure you bring your own ideas to the meeting. Speeches need a formal structure just like an essay. They have an opening, a body, and a closing. Introductions should be 20 sec to 2 min. It eases your listener into speech. Make sure your information follows a logical order. Your audience must believe your speaker as well. Do they share an interest? Try sharing something special about you. It will open their curiosity. A word of warning. Humor is best used carefully. The safest form of humor is for the speaker to make fun of themselves. It’s also the fastest way to lose the audience if an attempt at humor goes bad. Once you move to the body of the speech, you need to choose one theme or purpose. Tell your audience what you are telling them, tell them again, then tell them that you told them. If your audience can tell you don’t care about them or the topic, they won’t care either. One of the best forms to use for your speech is the “Golden rule of 3.” Tell your audience you have three thoughts to share with them. Make sure your most important is the last item told. The next most important idea should be your first one. And finally, the least important should be in the middle because it is often forgotten. Good speeches use examples. Make sure you round numbers off but don’t use too many stats. People zone out on numbers. Use illustrations. Try to paint a picture for your listener. The best speechwriters, write for the ear. Speeches are not written to be read. Keep it simple. Use active voice. Use contractions. Vivid verbs are best. Vary your sentence lengths. Avoid jargon. Repetition is key. Ask rhetorical questions. Use personal pronouns. Use alliteration. You want to be the speaker they remember. If you appear genuine, you’ll be a step closer. End on strong note. Your closing shouldn’t end with a whimper. You need a strong call to action. It should be brief. Make it a challenge and restate purpose. Once you’ve got a completed draft, read it aloud. Listen for tongue twisters. Are your ideas clear? Do the transitions flow? Does every word you chose have meaning? If not, delete it. Now you’re ready to give the speech!  Smile when you give it. Record it.

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Bush Torture Lawyer John Yoo Calls for Revenge Prosecutions Against Democrats

Poor, innocent donald trump must be avenged..

Republicans have long been predicting that criminal charges against Donald Trump would lead to Republicans ginning up charges against Democrats out of pure revenge. The prediction, of course, was designed to legitimate it. And now, inevitably, members of the Republican legal Establishment have moved from predicting this turn of events to advocating for it.

John Yoo, the former Bush administration lawyer (who himself escaped prosecution for his role in constructing legal justifications to torture detainees, many of whom turned out to be held wrongfully in the first place), has an essay in National Review arguing for revenge prosecutions. The imprimatur of Yoo, a Berkeley law professor and fellow at two of the conservative movement’s least-insane think tanks (the American Enterprise Institute and the Hoover Institution), underscores the progression of “lock her up” from wild seriously-not-literally Trump-campaign demagoguery in 2016 to party doctrine in 2024.

“Repairing this breach of constitutional norms will require Republicans to follow the age-old maxim: Do unto others as they have done unto you,” urges Yoo. “In order to prevent the case against Trump from assuming a permanent place in the American political system, Republicans will have to bring charges against Democratic officers, even presidents.”

I agree with Yoo that one of the cases against Trump, the Alvin Bragg prosecution , is weak. That’s not to say Trump is innocent, but that it’s a borderline case that did not need to be charged.

But Yoo is not confining his complaints to the Bragg case. He explicitly denounces all the charges against Trump, including the ones for attempting to negate the election results and for stealing classified documents, repeatedly ignoring or lying in the face of requests to return them, and engineering a cover-up.

There are several problems with Yoo’s argument, beginning with the “age-old maxim” he cites. The saying, derived from the Bible, is “Do unto others as you would have done to you ,” not “Do unto others as they have done unto you .” I am not a biblical scholar, but the basic thrust of the teachings the line summarizes is to treat people the way you would wish to be treated, rather than instructing people to take revenge for slights.

Second, Yoo attributes Trump’s prosecutions to “the Democrats”:

Make no mistake, Democrats have crossed a constitutional Rubicon. For the first time in American history, they have brought criminal charges against a former president. For the first time in American history, they have brought criminal charges against the major (and leading) opposition candidate for president during the campaign …

Republicans keep asserting that the Democratic Party, or Joe Biden, collectively decided to throw the book at Donald Trump, but there is literally zero evidence for this. Biden has avoided interfering with decisions by the Justice Department, and the two biggest cases against Trump were brought by Jack Smith, who is a nonpartisan figure respected by both parties.

Third, Yoo’s examples of revenge prosecutions underscore his deep confusion about how the Justice Department has been operating. Here are some things he wants investigated: A Republican DA will have to charge Hunter Biden for fraud or corruption for taking money from foreign governments. Another Republican DA will have to investigate Joe Biden for influence-peddling at the behest of a son who received payoffs from abroad.

In fact, Donald Trump went to great lengths to do this very thing. William Barr, a Republican, did investigate allegations of foreign payoffs by Joe Biden. He never brought charges because he was unable to find any legitimate evidence whatsoever to support the claim.

And David Weiss, who was appointed by Donald Trump, investigated Hunter Biden, and charged him with tax fraud and lying about his drug use on a form he submitted to purchase a gun. Note that these are the kinds of criminal charges a regular person would almost certainly never face. Hunter Biden is being charged because he is the president’s son, and has engaged in sleazy-but-legal dealings that made him a prosecutorial target.

If Yoo was remotely capable of perceiving reality objectively, he would grasp that these examples refute his assumption that “the Democrats” control various prosecutorial arms and have abused them for political purposes. Joe Biden assuredly is not on board with the Justice Department throwing his son in prison. But Yoo seems to believe Hunter Biden has somehow escaped prosecution.

The deepest conceptual flaw in Yoo’s demands for legal revenge is his belief that Trump is an innocent victim. “Democrats have crossed a constitutional Rubicon,” he argues. Before now, he claims, opportunities to prosecute presidents abounded but were never taken, out of principle:

Gerald Ford, in a great act of statesmanship, pardoned Richard Nixon even though it doomed his chances in the close 1976 election. Bush did not prosecute Bill Clinton for lying to the Whitewater special counsel, even though Clinton’s Justice Department had conceded that he would become legally liable once he left office. Obama did not attempt to relitigate the difficult policy decisions made during the War on Terror by prosecuting Bush and his aides (of which I was one). Trump did not order the investigation of Hillary Clinton, even though her intentional, illegal diversion of thousands of classified emails to her home computer network was a central theme during his campaign. Nor had local or state prosecutors dared to interfere with the workings of the presidency before.

It is true that presidents have gotten into legal trouble areas before. But no previous president actually attempted to stay in office despite losing an election. Another thing those other presidents had in common is that they were politicians who sometimes operated in legal gray areas, but fundamentally respected the legal system.

Trump is a career criminal who went into politics. Treating laws as suggestions is one of his basic maxims. Once in office, he continued to act like a crook. He routinely berated his lawyers for taking notes in his presence and urged them to act more like Roy Cohn, the mob lawyer he once employed and idolized. He regularly ordered people to violate the law, and sometimes promised to pardon them if they were caught, and is currently promising pardons for the insurrectionists in prison who committed violence on his behalf.

Yoo argues that what broke the system was the decisions to charge Trump with crimes, and what can repair it will be charging Democrats. I would suggest the solution instead would be for Republicans to nominate as their next presidential candidate an experienced, vetted politician rather than a professional swindler.

And yes, Bragg’s case is weak, but it too could have been avoided if the GOP didn’t pick a presidential candidate who had a standing catch-and-kill arrangement with the National Enquirer .

Ted Cruz or Ron DeSantis may be right wing, but they are not mobbed-up crooks, and they wouldn’t be facing prison right now if they had beaten Trump in their respective nominating contests.

• remove interruptions
• the national interest

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