Principles

Principles are professed or accepted rules of action or conduct like a person of good moral principles. It is a fundamental doctrine. A personal and specific basis of conduct. A person of principle is one with a guiding sense of the requirements and obligations of right conduct.

As I have said before, if you are not kind, you can't have empathy. If you don't have principles, how to be honest? If you are not grateful, can you have humility? Can one be fair without an open mind? Practise spirituality without exhibiting self control? Will you forgive more easily if you have more spirituality and a greater sense of humour? If you are a grateful person, you will see and appreciate beauty in all things. Curiosity will keep you asking questions in your mind to discover the truths of all these things mentioned and when you have all these, it shall empowered you with tremendous courage come what may. 

"It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more manhood to abide by thought-out principles than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind." - Alex Karras.

"I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength in distress, and grow brave by reflection. Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death." - Thomas Paine.

"It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them." - Alfred Adler.

"Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles." - Confucius.

"If all men were just, there would be no need of valour." - Agesilaus.

"Rules are not necessary sacred, principles are." Franklin D. Roosevelt.

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool." - Richard Feynman.

"A man is usually more careful of his money than than he is of his principles." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

"The community that has neither poverty nor riches will always have the noblest principles." - Plato.

"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles that direct them." Napoleon Bonaparte.

"A people who values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." - Dwight D. Eisenhower.

"I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle." - Jane Austen.

"My basic principle is that you don't make decisions because they are easy, you don't make them because they are cheap, you don't make them because they are popular. You make them because they are right." - Theodore Hesburgh.

I know there are people who will give and take - give one and take ten. Are we chasing success, fame, power and fortune or to have a meaningful, purposeful career and good friends.


I know some people actually like people with no principles and hated those who has as it is just so much easier and convenient when dealing with people who have no principles. Everything can do so you will always get what  you want. Yet, there are really people in this world, perhaps a rare exception that are "too principled" so much so that they are self-righteous.


In every generation, moral values and principles will drop some notches. Just look around us. It is alarming. You get more money and yet greed goes unabated. You feed your dogs but rob your parents. Oh, there is no right or wrong, they are just grey areas. Really? How can there be no right or wrong? Right and wrong is as clear as day and night. These are days of moral decadence and you will increasingly see more and more of these things happening in the times ahead. In fact, moral decadence can set in or penetrate your society, country and family without you knowing it. 

The only principle that humans really need is a God-fearing one. Before you fear God, you have to believe in one. Fear is not to be afraid. Fear is to revere. Revere is to regard with respect and tinged with awe, to venerate because God is merciful, purity, omnipotent,  powerful, all mighty, righteous, sinless, forgiving and many more. God is merciful to those who show mercy and "even in darkness, light dawns for the upright, for the gracious, compassionate and righteous man." 


When it is said that we should love God first, to seek first His kingdom before everybody and everything else (But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you - Matthew 6:33), humans may think how about our family and friends? Our parents, wife and children? 


If suppose you do not love God and seek His kingdom and righteousness first, would you come to think of, to say and do the right things? You may be good at decision making on a business and many other things but would you be able to make a clear headed decision especially one that involves your family and friends or when gaining and taking advantage or seeking self gratification? Would you seek justifications for your own convenience? Using one's own human standards to judge or do things which you think right may turn out wrong. To help a loved one may turn out to be harm instead.


Bruce Lee used to say "be like water my friend, be water". I say, do not fear man or  the dark nor anything but "fear God my friend, fear God". When you fear God at all times, you will be always humble as you know that we are all powerless souls. The power you think you have is just a figment of your own imagination no matter who you are.


Ephesians 5: 15-16 says: (15) See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, (16) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.


Be watchful.

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