In treatment of others and in conduct towards them, a person should always regard whatever pleases and displeases himself as the measure. He should wish for others those things that are most pleasing to him, and never forget that whatever conduct displeases him will also displease others. If he does this, he will keep himself safe, not only from misconduct and bad behavior, but also from hurting others.

Considering that favors received make you feel a liking, affection and attachment for those who did the favor, you know how to make others like you, and feel affection and attachment for you. It is said: 'Men are slaves of the favors done to them.' Therefore, doing others a favor, being good to them, is a reliable defense against any harm that may come from them.

Maturity and perfection of spirit is being just in your treatment of others - even, or especially, those who have done you an injustice, thus answering their evil with good. A person should never give up doing good, even for those who have done him harm, and treat them with humanity and nobility. For, to do someone harm is brutish behavior. Whereas returning evil with evil implies deficiency in character, returning good for evil is nobility.

There is no limit to doing others good. One who has dedicated himself to the good of humanity, can be so altruistic as to sacrifice even his life for others. However, such altruism can be a great virtue only so long as it originates in sincerity and purity of intention and the 'others' are not defined by racial preferences.

 

A person's humanity and nobility are directly proportional to his closeness to his friends and maintenance of friendship. Talking of nobility and kindness without expressing warmth and intimacy in relationships is mere assertion; and doing good in return only for the good done to oneself, or sometimes ceasing to do good to others in order to punish them, implies moral imperfection and immaturity.

It is a high form of doing good to others to ignore some of their faults or improprieties or bad manners, to tolerate their imperfections. Prying or spying into others' affairs and finding fault is rudeness and incivility, publicizing such affairs here and there is an unforgivable fault, and declaring them to the others' face is a severe blow to the bonds of unity between people, a blow from which, sadly, it is almost impossible for friendship to recover fully.

Those who regard as insignificant even the greatest good they have done for others while greatly appreciating even the least of the favors done to themselves, are perfected ones who have acquired the Divine standards of behavior and found peace in their conscience. Such individuals never remind others of the good they have done for them nor ever complain about indifference to themselves.