I would imagine that we all know the phrase “First, do no harm.” It’s often attributed to the Hippocratic oath that medical students take. The phrase is actually not part of that oath but it stands on its own, still offering a watchword worth holding.

The concept seems a simple one and, I would suspect, it resonates with you as it does with me. Harming ourselves, harming others—avoiding either, avoiding both, seems to be the path for better outcomes. And there is no element of being mandated to do good but rather not to harm. There is no “let’s hold hands and make the world a better place,” here but rather a clear and powerful statement about not creating hurt for yourself or anyone else.

I’ve been thinking about this phrase of late. I’ve thought about it in the context of the epidemic of hate we seem to be facing in this country and around the world. The thought that extremist groups could call for a “national day of hate” and promote acts to demonstrate hatred is almost incomprehensible. And, yet, it is real. As human beings, we are the same, we are equal, we are formed of the same skin and bones, muscles and organs. Our beliefs, our choices, our lives are our own and no one else’s to judge and, certainly, no one else’s to harm. And, yet, hatred wells up and bubbles up and spills over and does immeasurable, incalculable harm.

We see this with individuals as well. In pursuit of one’s own objectives, how often do people do that by attempting to harm others? Rather than accept their own failings or challenges, they point fingers, they cast blame, they subvert and distort the truth. All in an effort to “win,” to come out on top or to achieve the outcome they desire.

It seems to me that this kind of behavior is based on an unwillingness or inability to take responsibility for yourself and your actions. It “can’t be me” so it must be someone else. Individually, collectively, placing blame is a shortsighted and inadequate response, perhaps spotlighting an opportunity for growth or, sadly, spotlighting a failure or unwillingness to grow.

If we choose to live, to lead, to interact with our hearts, with our full hearts, then we must do so with not just honesty but an understanding of our responsibility to care for ourselves, to care for others by, first, doing no harm.