*psssst. pass the popcorn*
my
before the main event...
Have you ever heard of the Golden Rule? Sure you have. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. [/KJV dialect] It is a fine rule, as good as a rule can be, really. That's why it's called "Golden" to connote it's preciousness. More precious than silver.
By the way, have you ever heard of the Silver Rule? Yeah. Just as one golden coin is as valuable as many silver coins, the Golden Rule is as valuable as many Silver Rules. You're probably wondering when I'm gonna get to the actual Silver Rules. Hehehe, well. If you can't take advantage of a golden coin for whatever reason, you'll have to rely on several silver coins instead. Similiarly, if you find that the Golden Rule can't be applied, then you're stuck with several Silver Rules.
I wouldn't want my neighbor to speed through a school zone;
I don't speed through school zones. I deliberately leave the cause and effect ambiguous in this example. While the Golden Rule works, no speeding in school zones occurs. Voila!
Inevitably though, there comes a time when some behavior of mine, while fine by me, is not ok with my neighbor. The Golden Rule is tested. Perhaps my neighbor and I can come together and and out of mutual respect for each other and for the Golden Rule, we can reach and understanding. Perhaps not. The issue could easily be speeding in school zones, or anything else. Perhaps the Golden Rule cannot help in this situation. That makes it a job for the Silver Rules.
They're "lesser" rules, in the sense that they're more specific, they could address the defnitions and consequences of speeding in school zones, for instance. But being silver, they would be less valuable in deciding the consequences for spitting on the sidewalk, or emptying my crankcase into the storm drain, or building a discotech in my backyard, or selling dope in a school zone. See?
The more situations in which you can't appeal to the Golden Rule, (or it's peers), the more situations you'll have to mint a new Silver Rule. As you can probably imagine, there is no limit to the number of scenarios that could result in the production of more Silver Rules. Witness our own laws. The more specific the less useful. A law that is less useful has little value. Compared to a golden coin, a silver coin has little value.
The moral of my story is that although there are limits to the practical application of the Golden Rule, it is in our mutual best interest to attempt to use it alone if possible, but at least use it first, before resorting to lesser coins.
Here endeth the sermon.