Silver rule

Related to the ethical principle of the golden rule, the silver rule states "Treat others in the way that they wish to be treated."

Because of cultural and personal differences, the silver rule is sometimes more useful in practice than the golden rule. However, because it requires intimate knowledge of the subject it is also much more difficult to successfully implement.

For example, someone acting in accordance with the golden rule might use a very forceful handshakebecause he himself likes firm handshakes. Someone acting in accordance with the silver rule would use a forceful handshake only if he believes that the person on the receiving end would prefer a firm handshake.

The ideals of chivalryare related to the silver rule, especially insomuch as they relate to the behavior of men toward women.

See also

• Golden_Rule_(ethics)
• Ethic_of_reciprocity

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver+rule Wikipedia article Silver rule.