Rethinking the Golden Rule
February 26th, 2010It’s the classic maxim that we all grew up with, the proverbial Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” however, does it always apply? If we are all individuals and we all have different communication and behavioral styles then perhaps what works for me might not go over so well with you.
What if we were to rethink this idea and turn it into “Treat people not as you want to be treated, but instead, as they want to be treated”? This opens up a more expansive and empathetic idea, and if we look at the diversity of interaction styles that we can recognize through our study of DISC profiles then it is possible to adapt our communication approach to better serve the preferences of someone who is likely to have a different behavioral profile than ourselves.
To further explore these ideas you may like to read Art Schoeck’s article: Adapting the Golden Rule for Better Communication
Tags: behavior, behavioral style, communication, DISC, golden rule
