Do to no one what you yourself dislike. Do not drink wine till you become drunk, nor let drunkenness accompany you on your way. (Tobit 4:15)

Jesus offered a positive version of this maxim, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12)

My wife cautions that I often do not want to be treated as most others want to be treated.

Somewhere I read a translation - or perhaps an exegesis - that had Jesus teach "do unto others as they wish." It is by listening to the other that we are able to understand and honor.

This torrent of maxims reminds me of Polonius sending his son off to Paris (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene III). The Golden Rule followed, without a breath, by an injunction against drunkeness makes me wonder about Tobit's sense of proportion.

Polonius is a posturing, self-deluding, confused and confusing windbag. I have not decided about Tobit.

What Polonius says is often wise, but too often his behavior does not reflect his own counsel. It would be difficult to know how to treat Polonius. He is not true to himself, so how can another be true to him?