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Do unto others 20% better than you would expect them to do unto you, to correct for subjective error.
Linus Pauling
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Treat others better than you would want to be treated to account for personal biases.

Linus Pauling’s quote emphasizes the importance of empathy and intentionality in our interactions with others. By suggesting that we should treat others 20% better than we expect in return, Pauling highlights the idea that our expectations can be clouded by personal biases, and thus, we should strive for greater kindness and understanding to mitigate those subjective errors in judgment.

Themes

EmpathyRelationshipsKindnessSubjective ErrorTreat Others

In practice

Example use cases

In a staff meeting, you might share this quote to encourage team members to support each other.

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