Golden Rule

The Golden Rule is presented in In Cold Blood through Perry Smith’s father’s description of family life: he said he taught his children the principle and paired it with “Live & let live.” The passage records a parent’s account of a moral code, not a separate scene demonstrating how the rule was applied.

The Rule as Named

In a letter written to support Perry Smith’s parole, his father stated, “I taught my children the Golden Rule.” He followed this with “Live & let live,” giving the principle a concise expression in his account. The passage does not set out a formal definition; it presents the rule as part of the father’s stated approach to raising his children.

A Household Ethic

The father connected his teaching to expectations about conduct among the children. He said they would tell on one another when someone did wrong, and that the guilty child would admit it, accept a spanking, and promise to behave better. In his telling, the Golden Rule belonged to a home governed by accountability and restraint toward others.

Context and Limits

The statement occurs within “A History of My Boy’s Life,” a composition Perry Smith’s father wrote for the Kansas State Parole Board. It is therefore part of the father’s case for his son, framed alongside memories of childhood routines and family circumstances. The passage establishes that he claimed to have taught the Golden Rule; it does not independently confirm how consistently the family followed it or how Perry Smith later understood the teaching.