“Treat others the way you want to be treated.”
This is the golden rule we’re told as elementary schoolers. From a young age, society tells us that our actions have consequences, and working hard by helping others can result in better outcomes for ourselves. We believe in a divine sense of justice. If someone speeds on the highway, we curse them and wish the police would give them a ticket. Conversely, if someone donates their coat to a homeless person on the street, we believe they will have good fortunes come their way.
Yet, in reality, this isn’t always the case. As we saw with Job, even the most pious men must endure the worst situations. It seems liars and frauds get prosper while honest people get left behind. Mentally, we seek to justify these outcomes, saying that their short-term benefits won’t result in long-term prosperity. But is this true? More often than not, the person who speeds isn’t pulled over, while the person who gives up their coat isn’t recognized for their actions.
So why act selflessly if it doesn’t matter?
We should act selflessly because, for lack of better words, it is the right thing to do. Humans are fundamentally social creatures, and our species has thrived because of our ability to support each other. We need more people who can put the good of society first. Whether it’s more whistleblowers, more firefighters, or more educators, we need people who are willing to put others above them and serve others.
Yes, I believe good should be rewarded while evil should be punished, but it’s hard to live with this belief. If we do good actions to expect good consequences then we will live in agony, waiting for good fortune that may never arrive. This is how Job felt. For much of the text, Job cursed god and lived in anguish, thinking he was entitled to better outcomes because of a false notion of divine justice. Yet having this mindset continued to agonize Job. He always thought his suffering would be over soon, yet it continued to drag on. Only when we accept that we can’t control our fate is when we truly liberate ourselves, now doing tasks simply for fulfillment and service.
Instead of treating others the way we want to be treated, we should seek to act morally and embrace any consequences that come our way.