Live by Principles, Not Feelings

 1. Living by Principles, Not Feelings

The first and simplest way to be a better person is to live your life based on principles, not fleeting emotions.

Here’s the thing…

You’re a human being.

And like all humans, your brain evolved to keep you alive, not to make you happy or ethical or “good”.

All too often, our brains lean toward instant gratification instead of the principles we KNOW will make our lives better.

It wants you to feel good… not do good.

And the ONLY way I’ve found to get around this is to create a list of personal operating principles by which you live and adhere to them religiously.

It doesn’t matter if you really WANT that drink at 2 pm on a Tuesday afternoon… what are your principles?

It doesn’t matter if you WANT to skip your workout and sleep in… what are your principles?

It doesn’t matter if you WANT to ignore that family member or friend who needs your help… what are your principles?

Principles are the first and most effective way to become a better person…. but it’s up to you to determine which principles you will follow and then do it.

2. Educate Yourself on the Things That Matter

It’s great to educate yourself about business, health, finance, etc…

But all too often, people today are one dimensional in their education.

They know nothing of the real problems facing the world (beyond the fear bait news headlines).

They know nothing of history, of philosophy, of science, of humanity.

They simply know about their bubble.

But to be a better person, you must expand your interests.

You need to understand the world around you to have a clearer understanding of your fellow humans, the problems in the world, and how you may be unintentionally complicit in many of them (e.g. buying iPhones that were made in a factory where the owners had to install nets around the ground to ensure that their workers couldn’t commit suicide anymore…)

The average person is grossly undereducated on how the world works and what problems we’re facing.

And if you’re willing to stick your nose in a book that doesn’t directly benefit you, you’ll be taking an important step toward becoming a better person.

3. Know Thyself

To be a “better person” you must know what kind of person you are right now.

You need to know your strengths, weaknesses, temptations, obstacles, and patterns.

The biggest problem plaguing the world today isn’t any of the injustices we see in the media… it’s the gross lack of self-awareness held by the average person.

For most people, there is no disconnection between their impulses and actions.

There is no reflection or introspection.

There is no questioning or analysis of thought or deed.

They simply live the way they’ve always lived without questioning WHY.

To be a better person, you must start by understanding yourself. Understand your strengths and weaknesses so that you can use them for the good of humanity.

Understand WHY you feel and think the way you do about certain things instead of assuming your feelings are correct.

The more self awareness you have, the kinder and better you will be.

Awareness is the solution to almost all problems…

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