“Do not give, invite or take offense.” This is sometimes easier said than done.

I am a caregiver assisting elders who at times do not filter what they say. I was assisting Anna, who recently lost her upper teeth which has changed her speech. She mentioned to me that people do not understand her when she speaks. I responded that I understand her and that everyone who provides care for her does. Indignantly Anna asked, “Are you calling me a liar?” I waited a few seconds before answering so I could find a proper response. I told her no but that I was glad she felt free to voice her concern.

In the past, I would have taken offense and then given offense. And it always ended up in an outward argument. For example, when Anna asked if I was calling her a liar, I heard thoughts in my mind such as, “She always has to say something negative.” “She’s always trying to prove that she is right, and I am wrong.” These thoughts have run through my mind not only with Anna but also with others.

After reading Right is Might, the following paragraph stood out to me which has immensely helped me in all my relationships:

“The situation of conflict arises when a person gives offense. That is most likely to happen after someone else invited offense, but conflict does not materialize until offense is taken. Here, then, is the formula to prevent conflict: Don’t give offense; don’t invite offense; don’t take offense.”

When I live by this formula, life is simple and peaceful. And when I do not, life is stressful, and I feel an inner war inside which haunts me.

When I wait before I speak as I did with Anna, I typically can hear a kind of radio playing in my head with those negative thoughts. But when I’m calm and replay those thoughts, I can see that I have taken offense and then told myself these things to put the blame on someone else, like Anna. I can see the untruth in them. Anna does not always say something negative and try to prove she’s right. But if I continue to believe these thoughts, I allow the fight to continue in me.

So, the truth is, I am the one who can stop these thoughts – and the fight.

I was running late for an appointment. It seemed every traffic signal in my path turned red as I approached it. Every driver in front of me didn't seem to know where they were going. My emotional table was rising with each delay, and I began to take risks with my driving. I tailgated every slowpoke in a misguided effort to get them to speed up. I threw my hands up in disgust when they slowed to a stop for a yellow light. I wished they would all just get out of my way! I was upset and uptight and I was beginning to get a headache.

When I was able to step back and take a different look at this situation, I saw things differently. I was blaming all those other drivers as though they were causing me to be late! Were they causing my problem? Of course, not. But there I was, spewing my venom at them as though each and every one of them was purposely trying to slow me down. But the fact is that the entire emotional ride could have been avoided ... if I had simply left home on time.

So why didn't I? Procrastination, for one thing. Wanting to finish that last little thing before I got ready to go. Wanting to sit for just "5 more minutes." Wanting to watch just a little bit more TV. Wanting to keep the cat on my lap "just a little longer." It doesn't matter the reason. Fundamentally, I just wanted to do whatever it was I wanted to do and paid no heed to the fact that it was time to leave. It certainly wasn't worth the delay!

I had quite a laugh at myself when I saw the reality that I caused my own trouble - and suddenly all the emotion I felt dropped away.

It really is that simple to eliminate our problems and troubles.

Learn more in Richard W. Wetherill’s book How To Solve Problems & Prevent Trouble.

Do you long for a new world? One with no conflict, no jealousy, no threatening words. One in which people's behavior is caring, trustworthy, and productive. In this new world of people, their activities need no supervision. They do what reality calls for.

There are no locks on doors or windows, no legal contracts to assure honest compliance, no addictions, no crime, no poverty, no lack of any rightful thing or opportunity, no scoldings or punishments.

There is liberation from the tyranny of prejudice. There is plentiful food and shelter. There is full employment with opportunities for all.

More important, there is fellowship among people. There are neither strangers nor anybody to fear. There is stimulating activity so that daily life becomes an interesting adventure.

What creates this new world? People's obedience to a natural law identified by Richard Wetherill decades ago. He called it the Law of Right Action, requiring rational, honest and morally right thoughts, words, and deeds.

Sadly, society unknowingly is still blocking the birth of that new world by acting on their personal motives.

However, by their obedience, mankind now could live in the way still envisioned for the human race by the creator of that precious natural law!

Have you considered that when we keep our balance, we are complying with the intent of a natural law we call gravity? As a matter of fact, people already know that to be safe and/or successful, they must comply with the intent of every natural law, not just gravity.

Decades ago Richard Wetherill identified a natural law, defining its intent for people’s behavior. Wetherill named it the Law of Right Action, calling for people’s rational, honest thinking and behavior.

Thanks to Wetherill’s insight, we now have the opportunity to adjust our thinking and behavior to conform to the intent of this inviolable, self-enforcing natural law.

People who have accepted the logic of the above explanation live by the intent of nature’s Law of Right Action to the best of their ability. They know that when problems or troublesome results occur, they have deviated from the creator’s behavioral requirements.

Eagerly they drop their personal intent and return to the safety of the intent of this natural law.

Join with them to eliminate all conflict within a person, with close associates, other races, and nations. Thus the promised peace and productivity of a truly civilized civilization is achieved.

Have you ever wondered why leaders of nations seem to have utter confidence in using warfare to resolve disagreements with other nations or with their own people?

Even more prevalent, is the way people engage in fighting with one another. However subtle or blatant the fight, many times such disagreements develop into fisticuffs and/or murder.

Recorded history verifies: Fighting as a problem-solving procedure has been used since the days of the Caveman. Now, people are called on to recognize that fighting is barbaric, and it must be stopped.

Stopped, how?

Consider that the creator of the Laws of Physics also created a natural Law of Behavior, requiring mankind’s thoughts and actions to be rational, honest, and morally right.

Decades ago, Richard W. Wetherill identified and published information about that law and named it the Law of Right Action. But since leaders and people both tend to fight to get their way, the populace keeps contradicting this Natural Law of Behavior. The result is the tumultuous number of troubles and problems that today are afflicting people worldwide.

History shows that a peaceful, productive society is gained only by people’s careful obedience to the creator’s Law of Right Action—not by fighting for it.

Ask yourself, has Peace on Earth ever really existed? Historically, fighting for any reason, noble or ignoble, has led to more and more fighting. Individuals, if not at war, still are troubled by kinds of strife relating to their private affairs. This Essay tells why!

Ruling members of society and most people believe they are the arbiters of right and wrong action, and that is the mistaken belief making peace on earth inexorably unavailable.

Years ago Richard Wetherill identified nature's Law of Right Action: A natural law that is the true arbiter of right and wrong action. It states: Rational, honest thoughts and actions succeed. Any wrong result indicates that wrongness was part of the action taken, as results are determined and delivered by nature's self-enforcing Law of Right Action.

When people hurriedly descend stairways, gravity does not know why they are hurrying. So a slight departure from a natural law delivers trivial wrong results, but if more serious departures are made, the results also become increasingly serious.

Thus in every aspect of life, it is natural laws actually ruling people's results. Those who think, say, and do what is rational, honest, and morally right easily resolve difficult situations when they arise.

Clearly, obeying nature's Law of Right Action is the formula for a peaceful, productive life provided mankind by the creator of life!