If you're an exception to the golden rule, pretend you're not.

Many people try to criticise the Bible's morality for its supposedly limited applications. Even those who admit it is an excellent, or at least a good moral guide, often like to split hairs and point to a small "flaw".

One example is the so-called "Golden Rule": "Do unto others as you would have them do to you." This is obviously a good rule of thumb for society. Most of us like to be treated with dignity and respect, as well as kindness. But some say that a masochist, as they enjoy pain, would be a terrible person to teach this rule to.

The first and most basic response would be that a masochist might not even be an exception to the rule. They want pain because it pleases them, so what they really want is to be pleased by others, therefore they should do what pleases them. Think of it as being applied to drinks. If I wanted a drink, I'd love for someone to bring me a coffee. But maybe someone else hates coffee, but loves tea. The principle here isn't "I'd love it if people brought me coffee, therefore I must bring everyone coffee", but "I would love if people gave me drinks, therefore I must give others drinks". Ultimately, the Golden Rule is a principle, as are most Biblical commands, and so to treat them hyper-literally is awkward at best.

But let's take the most wooden approach possible. Let's say that no matter what, it genuinely could be taken as if you like receiving pain, cause pain. All that would mean is that there are a few exceptions to the rule. The Bible is a book written for all people for all time. It was not written for one person, or for a small group. No one ever judges a rule by its exceptions. Most people don't like to receive pain, and thus causing pain would almost universally violate the rule. If you are a masochist and you come across the Golden Rule, you should read it as if you were not a masochist. It really is that simple.