3 Most Important Life Principles

Humans are complex creatures. That means that everything about us is relative. Every rule has an exception. Our actions and behaviors are a result of many different elements. There are many principles to follow to exist and grow within society. But how can one narrow all these rules down?

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Three Most Important Life Principles

Talking about boundaries or ways to treat others is never easy. There are always nooks that hide specific scenarios that undermine our preset rules. Things we say we would never do or forgive, all crumble under the weight of the word “but”. What makes it difficult is knowing that everything related to humans is reciprocal and exists in the sphere of society. Rules we set for ourselves don’t always align with other people’s principles.

In that nature, our principles often shift and adapt according to a specific context. Again, humans are complex creatures, so reducing the number of rules to create one ultimate won’t be easy. In continuation, we’ll talk about the three most important life principles.

Life Principle No. 1: LOGIC

One of the three columns on which I build everything I do as a being in society is logic. By that, I don’t mean any discipline developed in Ancient Greece. I’m not talking about any complicated philosophy or anything like that. I mean – some common sense. Critical thinking, empathy, setting and respecting boundaries, and picking your fights are all easily established and controlled with just a bit of logic.

Many times I had to hold a conversation with people that was so absurd that it was frustrating, all because they used no logical reasoning. It’s impossible to know why humans sometimes ignore the obvious things.

Sometimes it’s deliberate, which creates the most friction. It’s easier to wear a blindfold than to face our deeds and the consequences. Looking directly at our actions would shed light on many mistakes that came from them, so it’s easier to keep our eyes shut than to be blinded.

Critical thinking isn’t out of our reach. It’s not something reserved only for the best. Only our childhood selves are out of it (but don’t abuse this principle by referring to yourself as young to justify your deliberate actions). Think about all the scenarios in your life that could be avoided or handled differently if you/someone else applied logic. Ask yourself why, and it’ll lead you to a logical conclusion.

Life Principle No.2: RESPECT

Respect is a difficult principle to follow in a world where so many things can cost you to lose someone’s respect. There’s an array of things people do to disrespect, provoke, or step over your boundaries. In those cases, your view of those people changes. The truth is, respect is not something that you should give by default. But.

We should start with respect. This principle should be at the base of every relationship. Meeting new people should be enveloped in it. It tells about us as individuals. Always keep that basic level of respect for others as human beings. That’s the first step. But.

Note that respecting others as human beings is the only type of respect you owe to others. Other than that, respect is earned no matter who they are in your life. Hold them up to those standards.

Respect is something you always work for. There’s not a moment when you can allow yourself to get too comfortable. That goes for you, and that goes for others. It’s constant work.

Life Principle No.3: PRIVACY

I talked about this before, but I’m very protective of privacy. I’m also an oversharer, but all the info about me comes from me. My life is plain enough. There’s nothing I want to hide, but when I feel the preying eyes on me, I want to create a cloak around myself to hide everything, so I can keep it mine. That doesn’t go just for the bad things. I had some great news that I wanted to share, but then I found out people already knew. They took from me the chance to share it myself, and with it, they took all the joy.

I’m sure this happened to everyone at least once. If I want to know something about something/someone, I want to hear it from the source, not from the sixth or seventh mouth. Secrets? They were given to me to keep, not to share.

Privacy isn’t secrecy, and even if you want to keep everything a secret, that is your right. That’s what this third principle is about. We should be given privacy to decide how much, if any, of our lives we want to share with others. To me, it’s a no-brainer.

Conclusion

I dubbed these three life principles “My Holy Trinity”. They tie everything together and condition each other. They are the basis on which I can build more and develop into a mature and kind human being. There’s more to say about them. Like anything human-related, they are not linear or definite. They are also not the only principles to follow. There’s always more, and there’s always a specific context to keep in mind. But I’ve noticed that a lot of my decision-making brings me back to them.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you agree with the list? What life principles do you think are the most important? Let me know 🙂