About GoldenRules.net

GoldenRules.net is a free, independent reference library of golden rules: proverbs, rules of thumb, ethical principles and named laws, each explained in plain English.

What you will find here

• Rule pages for 158 rules. Each explains what the rule means, why it matters, what happens when it is ignored and the benefits of following it. The most-read rules also cover origin, examples and frequently asked questions.
• Guides that put rules in context: golden rules of life, the Golden Rule across cultures, famous laws and principles and commonly misquoted sayings.
• Collections of rules for specific audiences, plus a glossary and FAQ.

Editorial approach

• Plain explanations first. Every page starts with what the rule means in everyday terms.
• Attributions are checked. Many famous sayings are credited to people who never said them. Where an attribution is doubtful we write “often attributed to” and explain what is actually known.
• Rules have limits. Golden rules are rules of thumb, not laws of nature. We point out when a rule backfires or conflicts with another one.
• No invented statistics. We avoid unsourced “studies show” claims and precise-sounding numbers that cannot be traced.

Pages are reviewed and updated over time, and mistakes are corrected when we find them.

Independence and advertising

GoldenRules.net is not affiliated with any religious organization, publisher, author or company mentioned on the site. Names of books, films and people are used only to identify sources. The site carries no advertising and no affiliate links. It uses Google Analytics to understand which pages are read; see the privacy page for details.