Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do To You Essay

“Do unto others as you would have them do to you” is an oft-quoted statement about kindness and love. Sometimes, however, it is taken too far. Simply because one person enjoys something does not mean it will be welcome to others. It can even lead to confusion and judgment over other people’s purposes and lifestyles when one expects everyone else to follow their accepted patterns and ways of life. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, confronts this very problem, as well as demonstrating how it may be avoided. The plot follows Scout Finch, a girl growing up in the Deep South, in addition to her brother Jem and her friend Dill as they mature and deal with issues of race and societal position. The three children spend the beginning of the book …show more content…
When Dill runs away from his home, claiming lack of interest on the part of his parents instead of cruelty towards him, Scout is confused. Nevertheless, as Dill relates his experiences Scout begins to contemplate how her life would be if her family did not seem to need her; “As Dill explained, I found myself wondering what life would be if Jem were different, even from what he was now; what I would do if Atticus did not feel the necessity of my presence, help and advice. Why, he couldn’t get along a day without me. Even Calpurnia couldn’t get along unless I was there. They needed me.” (162) The resulting picture made her feel so deeply undermined that she attempted to deny the very possibility of a family being able to exist in such a form. Dill’s journey to Maycomb seemed no longer merely a dubious adventure to her mind, which instead regarded it as a logical decision. Of course, it also helps her more deeply appreciate her own family. As Scout grows, she improves at habitual …show more content…
Atticus particularly provides insight into how to better see enemies and their motives without blinding passion and with compassion. Perspective taking often helps to provide alternate courses of action when there is seemingly no fitting answer. Should everyone try to walk in others’ shoes, countless disagreements could be avoided. Parents and children, husbands and wives, judges and accused, and numerous others would benefit from greater understanding. Even entire nations sometimes find after the fact that the cause for war was really misunderstanding. Next time people find themselves in a disagreement, maybe they will try to pull an Atticus instead of merely “doing the better