“The Golden Rule: Do Not Harm - Do Good.”
– The Tuttle Twins and the Golden Rule
In April 1980, an unlikely female contender, Rosie Ruiz, strolled across the finish line in record time at the 84th running of the Boston Marathon. Uncharacteristically scrawny, race officials would soon discover that Ruiz had taken a bit of a detour through the subway to make up time against her more able competitors. After further investigation, it was revealed that she had committed the same offense in the New York Marathon months before. Eventually de-wreathed and disqualified from both races, Ruiz went on to a life of drugs and crime before dying at the early age of 66.
Unfortunately, cheating is not uncommon in the sports world. We’ve seen everything from doping, game fixing, and even the deflating of a football to gain an advantage over one’s foes. And while most aspects of life are a series of win-win opportunities, sports are, in fact, a zero-sum game, where there can be just one winner. Here, two or more entities strive to reach one end, which cannot be shared. There must be a winner and a loser. Consequently, through sports, it’s healthy to learn how to lose with dignity and avoid disgrace. A good loser accepts defeat and shakes their rivals’ hand after a competition. A bad loser says Russia changed all the votes.
Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount spoke about the idea of fair play and mutual benefit when he said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” This iteration of the Golden Rule has been prominent in religions going back before the common era. But it also has universal secular appeal.
The Golden Rule is an apolitical creed calling for equal treatment, benevolence, and goodwill. This commonsense principle that has stood the test of time among many nations and peoples, rewards one positive action with another. More than just a nice little jingle, it is a positive affirmation of how to live a just life.
In Connor Boyack’s 2017 children’s book, “The Tuttle Twins and the Golden Rule”, Boyack’s twins, Ethan and Emily arrive at summer camp and quickly become embroiled in a competition rife with cheating and bad play. The twin’s reflex response of repaying one wrong with another only escalates the situation with even poorer results. After the deceit is revealed, the twins learn about the dangers of tribalism and the consequences of taking revenge against others.
Adults, unfortunately, are often no better in their reactions to dishonest players. We’ve seen over and over again how entanglements with foreign governments have invited even worse blowback. Yet, after we are faced with the devastating results, we seem unable to contemplate why other nations might hate us. And while adulthood certainly brings with it bigger and more complex problems, revenge, as they say, is a dish best-served cold, to be contemplated after the heat of the moment has subsided, and when clearer minds prevail.
Boyack includes in his book, a discussion about the Libertarian principle of non-aggression and how we should not initiate force or violence against another individual or their property. And how self-defense is only suitable when we must defend ourselves or our possessions, from the violence brought upon us from another. Stories like these, serve as a constant reminder to respect each other, each other’s property, and each other’s views and opinions.
Bad karma hounded Rosie Ruiz following her public scandal. The Golden Rule reminds us why good sportsmanship matters.
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