Every decent civilization really ought to have a word for the
routine-step-of-civilized-decision-making of carrying out "The Golden
Rule" because it's so fundamental to getting along with
others.
A partial list of proposed words and definitions
related to the act of carrying out "The Golden
Rule":
- TEEGER
- To apply the golden rule when making decisions.
- HUME
- To apply the golden rule when making decisions.
- Wouldn't it be great if HUME became a new and improved
root for the word "human"? After all, no
characteristic distinguishes humans from the lower animals
more significantly than our capability to perform the
golden rule when making decisions. Although most
children seem to go through a phase of understanding the
concept, without a word for it, too many lapse into
unhumeness as adults.
- Keep humin'!
- Possible alternative spellings: HUUM, HUWM, HEWM
- EMPATHACTION
- To act with/on empathy. Suggested by a friend.
- RIAR
- To decide AGAINST doing to others what you would
OBVIOUSLY NOT want done to you. (a lenient version
of the golden rule)
- Most major protests in history have been reactions to
people not riaring.
- RIAR would be a powerful, yet simple, civilized demand
at almost any major protest.
- RYR
- Basically just a shorter spelling of the root word RIAR,
but with a different description on its web page.
- SOSH
- Same definition as RIAR.
- Does not rhyme with liar (which bothered some people).
- To be pronounced as if it was the core root for the word
"socialism" since socialists typically decide AGAINST
doing to others what they would OBVIOUSLY NOT want done to
themselves.
- Soshism is easier to define than socialism, yet does
much the same.
- Sosh y'all! (basic demand of Sosh-y'all-ism.)
- CIV
- Another candidate word for the same definition as RIAR.
- To be pronounced as if it was the core root for the word
"civilized" since civilized people typically decide
AGAINST doing to others what they would OBVIOUSLY NOT want
done to themselves.
- Be civ y'all!
- GOOB
- To continue with an egregiously unriarish decision
DESPITE numerous people pointing out how obviously
uncivilized that decision has been.
- A person who refuses to change a decision AFTER people
(protesters) have pointed out that it breaks the golden
rule in a big, obvious way.
As root words, the above can be creatively combined with many
of the usual prefixes and suffixes to give your brain a rich
set of tools for thinking, perceiving, and communicating.
If you have any ideas for any other similarly important words
related to The Golden Rule's concept, please email
contact-at-mobiusblueribbon.com (and you might even win a
Mobius Blue Ribbon!)
The National Science Foundation sponsored National Public
Radio Show Radiolab created these 2 excellent segments
highlighting how critical words are to thinking and
perceiving:
Without an action word for the act of applying "
The Golden
Rule", will we remain blind to its violators somewhat
like the Himba people in the above clip seem blind to the
color blue?
After listening, ask yourself whether team-humanity has been
bad at ballot-box questions in a similar way as the people who
lacked "think-words" were at the toy-box question.