What is your state of Principles?

We all make countless decisions each day, from really easy ones to really tough ones. We might not think about why we decide to go one way or the other, but what really drives us are the underlining values that we have developed alone or adopted from others. Our principles guide our decision making process.

Ray Dalio, CEO of Bridgewater, wrote on this topic and has made this a must at his firm. I recommend to take a look <a href="http://www.bwater.com/Uploads/FileManager/Princip… Dalio: Principles</a>

What do you all think about principles? Do you stick with them forever after you arrive at them or do you constantly adjust your principles?

Curious to know, what are your top 3 principles that you live by?

To start, mine are: 1) Do everything up to my own standard (the highest), 2) Learn from my own mistakes and others, 3) Don't judge.

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20 Comments
 

Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Adam Smith and Peter the Great mixed into one entity.

Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions. -Niccolo Machiavelli
 

Was the monkey poo really necessary? I realize some of them have conflicting ideologies, but I'm trying to take the most reasonable ideas from all of them and form my own sort of hybrid thought system. I know hybrid cars suck, but I was hoping I'd at least get some creativity points.

EDIT: My bad I'm drunk, I misread the OP, actually I only read the title. Sorry folks. You wanted three principles and I gave you four thought systems. I deserve the monkey poo.

Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions. -Niccolo Machiavelli
 

Sincerity is the most important thing. Once you can fake that, everything else is easy.

Endeavor never to get in conflicts. But if you do, fight dirty and crush your enemy mercilessly.

Never take a bribe for the same job twice. But if you do, take the difference in the offers.

 

Plan meticulously to depend as little as possible on luck.

Stability gives room to risk, an stable household and inner circle allows for better risk taking (hedge).

Everybody's own history shape their views and beliefs, keep that in mind while you get to know yourself, learn from your mistakes and try to understand the others views.

Valor is of no service, chance rules all, and the bravest often fall by the hands of cowards. - Tacitus Dr. Nick Riviera: Hey, don't worry. You don't have to make up stories here. Save that for court!
 
Best Response

You will lose money chasing women, but you will never lose women chasing money.

"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for the sake of mine."
 
bankingftwYou will lose money chasing women, but you will never lose women chasing money.
The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 

1) Self-love, self-respect and self -appreciation are the ground base for everything. Be happy that you are yourself, never whip yourself for your flaws or mistakes, but do work on them and learn from them.

2) Forget about moral, society convention, religion and whatever the masses believe in. Live by your own rules, do whatever you please and that brings you satisfaction.

3) Never seek out revenge. It is suboptimal behavior. Instead, forget about them, keep an open, big heart and go on with a smile. However, if down the road the bad guys accidentally do fall into your hands, destroy them.

 

Nobody can ever reach this but one of my ideals is to constantly try to become the "Homo Universalis". At the very least I'd prefer to be the jack of all trades and master of none.

Taking a critical view of myself and always try to self improve in every aspect (refer back to #1), not just personality and such, but also anything that interests me e.g. sports, arts, music etc.

Live life to the fullest, take all opportunities, and leave no regrets

I don't accept sacrifices and I don't make them. ... If ever the pleasure of one has to be bought by the pain of the other, there better be no trade at all. A trade by which one gains and the other loses is a fraud.
 

1) achieve everything i want to achieve.

2) be the best at everything i do, and if im not, at least i know im trying my hardest

"Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you. That's not a threat, that's a fact.
 
  1. Anything worth having is worth fighting for.

  2. Aim high, and you will achieve great things.

"It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired you quit when the gorilla is tired" -Robert Strauss
 

1) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 2) Be critical of everything. 3) Never rest on your laurels.

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
 

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If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford

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