What If Everybody Did That?

One of the great little lessons I learned as a child was not to litter.  I recall on many different occasions a parent or teacher telling either me or some other little kid who had just thrown trash on the ground, "What if everybody did that?"  For some reason, that argument worked pretty well because it was easy for me to grasp what our world might look like if everyone littered.  Even as a child, I was able to see the logic.

Today I sit as an adult, and wonder why we didn't use that wonderful little argument for so many other things in life.

Why shouldn't we lie?  Well....what if everybody did that?

Why shouldn't we steal?  Well......what if everybody did that?

Why shouldn't we repay evil for evil, or be selfish, or run red lights, or cheat people?

Well.........what if everybody did that?

And of course that argument could be reversed to work the opposite way as well:

Why should I be kind to others, or love my neighbor, or help those in true need?  

What might our world look like if everybody did that?