FIRST PRINCIPLES - Got One?


 What is a first principle and why should I care?,

 



It is the root of the root. It is the seed from which your entire being springs forth. It determines your personality and your character – springs forth.

My first principle is kindness. It is my default. I did not choose it. It developed as I did. 

A drummer in a band I was in told me I fall in love with everyone. That I was a delicate flower. Rather than a weed, I suppose. A woman I dated said that she did not feel safe with me. She said that I would put a flower in the gun of someone who would try and rob us. Well, I would try reasoning before taking action. What's the alternative to dying over what is in my wallet?

Kindness has helped me a lot over my lifetime. It allowed me to forge relationships. A smile will help to show that I am approachable. A grimace not so much.

Why have a first principle? Consider it your north star. It will help guide you when things get dark. If you don't know which way to turn or go. It will help you get home to who you are.

It will shed light on who you are and what Virtues you adhere to. Virtues are axioms. They are non-negotiable. They are truths that are self-evident. 

Values are relative. What one holds as a value, someone else may not. You may value the right to carry a handgun. Me not so much. I value that people feel safe without a weapon strapped to their back or in their pocket.

Kindness is the beginning and the end. It permeates everything I do. My thought processes, my speech, and my actions. I try to be consistent. It is my road map. It never leads me astray. It is who I am.

First principles must be virtues. Because again they are true. They are honorable. They lift us up. We all can agree on what they look like. They are the ties that bind. To help the center hold, they keep us from venturing off the path of community. They help to strengthen a society. 





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