ON BEING GOOD

’We are born to do good, or we live in vain’

Robert Ingersoll –  American lawyer and orator (1833 – 1899)

We are often told that religious communities are happy ones. But while ceremonies and sacrifices, prayers and pilgrimages may give believers a degree of fulfilment this may be of little or no benefit to the wider society, and, more importantly, can even contribute to its division.

Indeed, all that is required to improve human happiness and co-existence is for each of us to focus on being more considerate, tolerant and rational in our everyday lives. This may sound pie in the sky to some – but not to those who already practice it. More tolerance, for example of the belief systems of others, would at a stroke eliminate half the conflicts in the world. And adopting a more rational approach includes being more sceptical – an intrinsic feature of Humanism, which was never more important than in today’s world of misinformation.

Altruistic behaviour manifests itself in many ways, including demonstrating tolerance, patience, generosity etc. However, concentrating too much on just one or two components of benevolence, however admirable, can risk missing the bigger picture.

THE GOLDEN RULE

Fortunately, there is a single maxim that brings the all-embracing humanist grail into focus. It is possibly the greatest and most important moral axiom humanity has ever come up with and versions of it can be found in virtually all societies and religions dating back to Solomon.  The Golden Rule – ‘Treat others the way you’d like them to treat you’.

The reverse form is also used: ‘Don’t treat others in a way you wouldn’t want them to treat you.’ And even a negative version: ‘If you can’t be kind to others, at least don’t be unkind.’

The beauty of practising the Golden Rule is that it benefits you as well as the recipients of your goodwill. During the Covid -19 pandemic, when people applauded NHS workers from their doorsteps and windows across Britain every week, many found that in expressing their gratitude they experienced a feeling of wellbeing; this was the case regardless of any religious belief.

An act of kindness can range from a simple ‘Hello’, to opening the door for someone, to saying ‘Thank you’ or paying a compliment. It’s almost guaranteed to momentarily give you warm a feeling as well as cheer you up more generally, and often a chain reaction is triggered too as the recipient of your kind act goes on to behave similarly towards someone else. It can also give you a feeling of power  knowing that you have the capacity to make other people, even strangers, happier to some extent.

One further thought. While Charles Darwin’s focus was primarily biology-centred the philosopher Herbert Spenser’s work on evolution was wider-ranging, covering also the human mind, cultures and societies, and in terms of ethics he believed we are inexorably moving forward on a continuum with evolution.

It should be remembered that humans share a common ancestry with all animals – indeed with all living organisms – and whereas today most animals in the wild live lives of stress, hunger, fear and danger, humans have moved on considerably. Of course, we are still evolving in terms of human harmony, but reason has shown us that it’s better for everyone in the long run to be kind to each other.

It would follow that every act of kindness, as well as its immediate benefit, reinforces that altruistic ethic and takes humankind one, albeit infinitesimal, step further along the journey of moral development. Being aware that we are playing a positive role, however small, in the long evolution of human progress can be a further source of motivation and fulfilment – indeed of power – regardless of our station in life.