Never impose upon others what oneself is averse to

An old Chinese saying goes: Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you. This is the most common rule that Chinese people follow in their relationships. Guess whose wisdom it comes from? Yes, Confucius again. No wonder they say Confucianism is the spiritual DNA of the Chinese people.

The most important feature of Ren (benevolence), is that one should contribute to others' accomplishments, while trying to also be accomplished oneself; one is expected to smooth things over for others as well as for oneself; and one should never impose upon others what oneself is averse to. This is the highest standard of ren, benevolence imbued with humanistic splendor, making it one of the most valued components of Confucius' ideology.