Being fair when it affects you

Most of us want to be fair, and most of the time we manage it. The moments that really count are the ones where being fair costs us a little, whether that is time, money or credit we would quite like to keep.

Freemasonry has long treated fairness as part of everyday character rather than something saved for big decisions. It shows up in very ordinary places.

At work, it might be the meeting where your manager praises the report you finished, and you mention that a colleague did most of the research. It takes a moment, and your colleague will remember that you spoke up.

At home, it might be noticing that the same person always ends up doing the washing-up after Sunday lunch, and offering to swap. Or splitting a restaurant bill by what each person ordered when you know one friend is watching their money.

None of this needs to be announced. Fair treatment tends to be noticed quietly, and people remember it for a long time.

If you are not sure what is fair, a useful question is whether you would be happy with the arrangement if you were the other person. The answer usually comes quickly.

The book explores this principle in more depth, alongside the others that tradition has kept alive for over three hundred years.