+
Education

People are sharing the one 'simple rule that would fix the world if people actually followed it'

Here are 17 rules that would make life better for everyone.

rules to live by, golden rule, fix the world
via Pexels

A teacher lists his class rules.

The world would be a much better place if humans weren’t so … human. We all fall short of perfection. Common sense is, sadly, not too common. And there’s one guy out there who always manages to screw things up when things start getting good.

Call it Murphy’s law. Call it the great “reason we can’t have nice things.” Call it entropy. It feels like a whole lot of pain could be avoided if we all had just a little bit more sense.

But what if there was one rule that we all agreed to follow to make everyone’s life better? What would this magical rule be?

A Reddit user who goes by the name P4insplatter came to this realization and asked the AskReddit subforum, “What simple rule would fix the world if everyone actually followed it?” They received dozens of simple rules that if everyone got behind would make the world drastically better.



It’s no shock that most of them felt like a variation of the Golden Rule. It’s funny that a lot of folks believe the world would seriously improve if we could just abide by a simple saying that we all learned in kindergarten.

Also known as the “ethics of reciprocity,” the Golden Rule is so innate to humans that versions of it have been found in religions and cultures throughout the world.

Here are 17 of the best responses to P4insplatter’s simple, but world-altering question.

1. Let go

“Let go or be dragged” an old zen proverb I heard at a meditation class. Really changed the way I let myself worry about things." — civagigi

2. Simple, but true

"Don't be a dick." — WuTangLAN93

3. The Golden Rule

"Treat others how you want to be treated." — AlbanyGuy1973

4. It starts with you

"I read somewhere that if you want to change the world, you have to change the community, to change the community change your relationships, and to change your relationships change yourself." — cagibaxii

5. Simple Earth math

"Don't use more resources than what the Earth is capable of renewing." — DaethSpiral321

6. Bill and Ted's rule

"Be excellent to each other." — pnotar

7. The law of Lebowski

“Fuck it, Dude. Let's go bowling." — Bonhomme7h

8. Signal

"Use your turn signal(s) properly." — futilelord

9. The principle of non-agression

"Simple, the non-aggression principle. You don't do, initiate or threat any harm unto others, unless acting in true self defense." — ufrag

10. It works for everything

"Leave it better than you found it." — Narcoid

11. Generosity and humility

"Be generous and humble. Being generous and kind encourages us to perceive others in a more positive light and fosters a sense of community. Humility teaches you to improve and make a positive impact on the world." — SuvenPan

12. STFU

"If you are not educated on the subject, sit down and stfu. Let the experts with years of education and experience talk." — Ch3m1cal420

13. Fairness first

"Everyone gets a chance at one [thing] before anyone gets seconds." — ehsteve23

14. Permanent daylight

"Obviously making daylight savings permanent." — ObviousINstruction18

15. Two ears, one mouth

"Listen more, talk less." — TryToHelpPeople

16. Turn off the lights

"All empty buildings should not have any lights/ac/heating on at night or after business hours depending on the nature of the work. their ac/heating and lights if necessary should only be turned on before the start of the day. This will not only help with energy costs but also with light pollution." — hadrainsgate

17. Don't tread on anyone

"You cannot do ANYTHING without consent." — DeepCompote


This article originally appeared on 03.17.22

True

In a flurry of heavy headlines that constantly inundate our feeds, acts of good connect us back to our faith in humanity. Witnessing just one person go out of their way to make the world a better place is a powerful healing salve against apathy. It reminds us all of what we are collectively capable of creating. This is the philosophy that Upworthy wholeheartedly believes in, hence why we’re always sharing uplifting stories of people giving kindness, generosity and support to their fellow humans.

That’s also why we’re partnering with P&G, the maker of some of our favorite household products like Tide, Always and Pampers, to bring you the 2023 Acts of Good Awards, and celebrate the individuals who are giving back and strengthening their communities.

Think of it like the Oscars of kindness. Half as formal but twice as feel-good.

Besides providing the world with brands we know and trust, P&G is a company doing good acts, whether it’s supporting hygiene education, helping struggling communities gain access to basic necessities or delivering essentials for families impacted by disasters.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Someone questioned the Costco cake ordering system. You do not question the Costco cake system.

Lucy Huber was confronted by the Costco cake brigade when she posted about the antiquated way you have to order.

Photo by Annie Reneau

Costco cakes are huge, cheap and delicious. Every time.

Costco is known for many things—their employee satisfaction and retention, their amazing Kirkland Signature generic brand, their massive (and addictive) $4.99 rotisserie chickens, their never-going-to-raise-the-price $1.50 hot dog and soda meal and more.

But one favorite Costco feature that might just top them all? The Costco cake.

Costco cakes are legendary. If you've never had a Costco cake, I'm so sorry. If you have, then you know. They are the trifecta of awesome—huge, cheap and utterly delicious. I don't even like cake that much and I can't stop eating a Costco cake. Like, if you ordered a fancy cake from a fancy patisserie and it tasted like a Costco cake, you'd say, "Oh yeah, that was worth the $$ I just paid." Only at Costco, you'd get that delicious of a cake that would feed a thousand people for just $25. (Okay, 50 people, but still—cake for days.)

This is why people have a serious loyalty to Costco cakes, which writer Lucy Huber discovered when she dared to question the Costco cake ordering process on Twitter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sponsored

ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

True

If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

Keep ReadingShow less

A server taking orders in a restaurant and a man enjoying a U.S. National Park

When we try to take stock of where we live, sometimes we can be too close to things to appreciate what's right in front of our eyes. It can also be hard to accurately assess some of the problems we’ve learned to live with over the years.

That’s why a Reddit post by a Dutch tourist who spent some time in the U.S. resonates with many Americans and Europeans alike. In the post, a Reddit user named MikJon shared the things they liked and didn’t like about their time in America.

They noted they didn’t post anything about politics, taxes or healthcare because those issues aren't relevant to tourists.

Here are the 5 things that they liked:

Keep ReadingShow less

Pete is officially an #opentowork #jobseeker!

LinkedIn is primarily a platform for working professionals to connect and find employment that aligns with their skills and values. With company layoffs continuing (even increasing in some industries) people have also used the website to courageously share their layoff experiences.

While the main intent behind this is, of course, finding a new job, there have also been some lovely displays of humanity that not only challenge the stigma of being laid off but show the power of a supportive community.

Take this heartwarming story, for example.

Patrick McCarthy, Communications Management & Marketing Leader, recently posted about a layoff that quickly went viral on the platform. Not for himself—for his father.

“This is Pete. He’s my dad,” his post began. “My dad lost his job yesterday. I would tag him here, but he doesn’t have a LinkedIn.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Mom has the best reaction to her son's bathroom remodel.

Chances are you've seen plenty of bathrooms before, especially if you're on a device that connects you to the entire world. It's generally the same setup no matter whose house you go to; there's a toilet, a bathtub or shower and a sink. Bathrooms aren't really anything to phone your best friend about.

Unless, of course, you're this mom in a viral video posted to TikTok.

Freddy Ray, who runs the TikTok account @thebeastnasty, shared a video of his mom's reaction to his bathroom remodel, and her reaction is the best. Sure, everyone loves a new look to a room they use frequently, but this bathroom is causing serious powder room envy by viewers. When the video starts, Ray's mom is standing in awe as the lid to the toilet softly closes on its own. That's plenty fancy by itself, but the cool factor doesn't stop there.

Ray explains to his mom that the toilet lid opens when someone stands in front of the bowl before pointing out the remote for the toilet and shows her how to operate it. The entire time, his mom shouts in amazement with each new discovery. It's probably the most "mom" reaction ever.

Keep ReadingShow less

Where did each dog breed come from?

No other mammal is as varied in size, shape, color and features as domestic dogs. If you put a Chihuahua and a Puli in front of an alien, they would never guess they were the same kind of animal. Seriously, how can a Dachshund, a Poodle and a Samoyed all be the same species?

Some dog breed origins are somewhat discernible by the location clues in their names, such as Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Alaskan Malamutes and Great Danes. Other names have recognizable regional language roots, like the Shih Tzu and Shiba Inu. We associate Poodles with the French and Huskies with the Arctic, but there are over 450 dog breeds the world over. Where did they all come from?

It could take hours to explore the vast history of dog breeds, but a video from BioArk offers a fascinating and entertaining overview in less than 20 minutes.

Keep ReadingShow less

Drew Barrymore has always had a complicated relationship with her mother.

Drew Barrymore made a recent blog post in honor of Mother’s Day reflecting on her own complicated mother-daughter relationship, which eventually led to the actress and talk show host filing for emancipation at the age of 14.

Barrymore has long been candid about having a turbulent childhood, and in her blog post, she details being sent by her mother to a mental health facility in her adolescence, where she spent two years in the center's youth program attending individual and group therapy.


While going to rehab was certainly a humbling experience for the teen star, looking back she can confirm it was also a “revelatory” one, particularly in the way she viewed the importance of adults setting up protective structures for kids.
Keep ReadingShow less