Religion, reality, and morality.

[Halden]

I don't like those golden rules because these are completely impossible standards. No one ever got close to living up to it. And doing so would be sick, in my opinion. Everybody would be constantly suffering, just so they could be improving the lives of some other suffering people. What would be the point?

No, I think it is very good to help each others, and we do it far too little. But there is nothing wrong in putting ourselves first most of the time.

I believe the Golden/Platinum rule can apply and be useful in many situations but as you say there comes a time when looking after yourself is beneficial to you and others. A classic example is Airplane oxygen masks, in order to be able to assist others you need to tend to your own mask first. In other words I can assist others if I myself am not in a good state.

 

[Invidious]

Perhaps in Christianity morality IS more an aspirational goal, an "impossible standard" as Merko said above. Instead of a golden rule, maybe it should be called a golden carrot. Chase the carrot long enough and hard enough, and you win salvation. With evolution, the damn carrot just provides beta carotene.