How important are principles in life?

Is it good to be a principled person?– it would seem such a simple question? - Of course yes! - the majority will answer without thinking too much. What if you think a little about this topic?

The master asked one student: “If you find a wallet with money on the road, what will you do? “I will look for the owner and return it.” “You are kind, but stupid,” answered the master. I asked the second one the same question. He replied: “I’ll take it for myself.” - “You are sincere, but not a thief.” I asked the third one. He said: “How can I know what I will be like when I find the wallet? Maybe I’ll really need the money and take it for myself. Or I will feel sorry for the one who lost it and will look for him to return the money. But you never know what could happen...” “You are wise,” said the master and bowed.

What are principles?

A principle is a belief, a point of view on something. Accordingly, a principled person is a person who defends his beliefs and point of view.

The principles in our lives serve as defenses, fortress walls and a moat between what life offers and me. This is the last frontier, the fall of which will mean my fall from grace, or lack of will. That's why people rush so loudly to inform this world that they have principles. IN Ancient Rome the principle was called a heavily armed warrior, which was usually located in the first, rarely in the second ranks of the Roman legions (hence the name). He had armor, a shield, and was armed with a spear or sword. The principles are the defensive belt of the Roman legion, which was difficult and dangerous to break through. Apparently this is where the saying “follow the principle” comes from - an obviously stupid and even dangerous idea.

And an interesting detail, but In order not to do what you don’t want, you don’t have to acquire principles. This happens naturally - “I just don’t want it!” The task of the principles is precisely that they can resist our own desires, curb your feelings, creating the aura of a hero, and protecting you from mistakes. Integrity is usually praised, and its absence is considered spinelessness. Principles are the reinforcement from which individual people are created, and they themselves look like reinforced concrete sculptures.

When is it inconvenient to have principles?

That would be fine, but life, fortunately, is much richer, and there will be countless situations, and those will certainly happen in which the developed principles will turn out to be ineffective. Have you noticed that a rigid structure is characteristic only of inanimate nature (stones, diamonds, metal)? All Live nature has a flexible structure (organisms, plants, water, air). Because living nature is subject to the laws of development and evolution, inanimate nature- the result of this development and evolution. It’s the same with people, often our principles are information that is imposed on us by our parents, teachers, and environment. Integrity is a firmness that does not allow one to be flexible in decision-making.

Why are principles needed?

Integrity does not exist by itself, she always caters to some character traits. It always goes in conjunction with some clearly expressed personal qualities: fundamental honesty, fundamental perseverance, fundamental cruelty. Yes, a person can be insidious and evil, but at the same time be principled. In itself, integrity is not a virtue; the moral coloring of integrity depends on the interests that it serves. Integrity does not make a person moral or highly moral. You can also meet a principled terrorist.

Integrity should not turn into dogma and be an obstacle to personal growth and development.

With a conscious and thoughtful approach, your beliefs can change, and with them, your principles. I liked one expression: “Belief is the last thing I will defend in my life, because I may be wrong.”

What to do with your principles?

Have you recently reviewed your principles? Can you name where and when they came from, what exactly and what beliefs they defend? Here is a banal principle that I have seen among girls: You can kiss only after the third date! I suspect that this principle comes from the belief that only girls lung behavior. Or here’s another principle: you shouldn’t call the first guy after meeting her and show your interest. In theory, these principles should have preserved the girl’s chastity. But is this really so? Is there a guarantee?

Try reviewing your own principles: On a piece of paper, write all your principles in one column, on the contrary, in another column, write the beliefs that serve these principles, and in the last column, write where you got this principle from. I assure you, you will be very surprised by the results you get.

Sometimes, principles are the frozen experience of past defeats, a crutch that allows, under a plausible pretext, to refuse responsibility for your life, for making informed and, most importantly, your own decisions. It is much easier to build a system of principles, which you can then turn to for ready-made answers. And it’s even easier to adopt other people’s principles, which seemed reliable and worthy from the outside. It is much easier to be “like him/her” than to be “me on my own.” Behind principles they hide their responsibility, their conscious choice and their courage to voice them. Because you can always hide behind the words: “I have this principle.” I was brought up like that".

Redundant integrity is always an extreme, and any extreme, from the point of view of psychology, ultimately leads to neuroticism of the individual. How many relationships were destroyed because of someone’s principles, how many wars and conflicts were born on this basis, how many generations of unhappy children grew up in principled families. I'm not asking you to abandon all your principles, I'm just suggesting that you reflect on the ideas and beliefs that serve your principles. Isn't it time to reconsider them?

A person with life principles is one who adheres to the norms and rules adopted by himself. A conscious person accepts life values ​​and principles that guide him, serve as an internal core, but do not limit him excessively.

Choice of life principles

Following life principles is a choice strong people who are accustomed to being guided by reason, and not by feelings and habits. Religious people have the main role life principles fulfill the commandments. Some psychological trainers, for example, refuse to work with companies that produce alcohol and tobacco, and artists often refuse to perform even for very large remuneration in countries where repressive regimes have been adopted.

IN modern society life and values ​​in reality very often turn out to be more of a fiction than a standard. In this case, a person follows life principles only when it is beneficial for him; in other cases, he changes or ignores them. So, for example, a girl may “out of principle” refuse to talk to a guy, but if her mood changes, she will very quickly forget about her decision.

To make your principles smarter, frame them as goals. For example, a girl shouldn’t rashly decide “I won’t talk on principle.” Think about whether you are ready to break off the relationship because of the conflict. If not, are you ready to endure further? similar attitude. Make decisions based on your answers - wait for an apology, break up, or stop paying attention to the shortcomings of your gentleman.

Wise people are always guided by their experience to formulate life principles, and then apply them for the rest of their lives. One of these principles is thought control. Your actions and deeds are a continuation of your thoughts. If you create happy life in your head, you can translate these thoughts into reality.

Next life principle wise people- respect. You need to respect both yourself and those around you. In this case, you will be treated with understanding and attention. Respect also helps build friendships, without which it is impossible to become happy man. To be a true friend means to support, understand, share joy and sadness.

One of the life principles smart people– share only good things with others. When you give something, you receive something in return. If you give joy and love, they will return to you a hundredfold.

Life principle for real loving people- give freedom. Do not limit the freedom of thoughts, actions, beliefs and choices of another person. And if he stays with you, this is true love.

Many people are interested in the thoughts and life principles of great people who had their own secrets of success. For example, the famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy formulated his life principles already in his youth. And they are still relevant for those who want to achieve well-being and inner harmony. Here are some of these principles:

I propose to touch upon quite a bit today interesting topic associated with human principles. Most people in the world have their own principles, views and beliefs. They are usually called principled - that is, those who will never go against their own moral rules. Those who are absolutely not guided by anything in life and act as they please, without having their own and not paying attention to other people’s principles, are usually called unprincipled.

In this article we will try to analyze each of these concepts, understand why and how principles appear, why they teach us, whether principles change with age, whether it is possible to sacrifice principles and, if so, for what.

What are principles

In any old dictionary, integrity is good quality. Integrity is the desire to follow one’s convictions and principles.

Principles are a kind of conditional (not mandatory) rules or beliefs that a person creates for himself, considering them morally correct, and to which he obeys for a certain (usually indefinite) period of time or throughout his life. A person acts in accordance with his principles and guidelines because he considers them the only correct ones - those that appeal to him most.

Principle—the word itself—comes from a Latin root that means “beginning.” That is, a principle can be considered some initial, fundamental belief. There are also habits, there are simply reflexes and good manners. For example, greeting at the entrance is a habit of politeness, the desire to not be late is punctuality, also a kind of habit, but not a life principle.

A principle is, first of all, a conviction of a moral order. And there are few such convictions in life, but they, like whales, support all other moral constructs.

A principle is an absolute. Now it is fashionable to say that everything in the world is relative, that nothing is absolute. Alas, this is a sad trend of our time.

For example, honor for an officer 100 years ago was an absolute. He took care of her, and nothing could compensate or replace the violated honor. This honor was not always understood correctly, the resulting actions were not always reasonable, but selling honor was unthinkable.

Unprincipledness is a person’s lack of any principles, a tendency to act differently from what is usually accepted in society. This concept has many synonyms, including spinelessness, conformism, lack of will and opportunism. An unprincipled person can, over time, turn into a sycophant, an invertebrate worm who cannot stand up for himself or for his loved ones, and to defend his interests not necessarily with his fists, but at least with his words. Such a person does not have his own firm convictions and therefore, in order not to stand out from others, he invents these convictions for himself, but does not comply with them.

How principles appear and why they teach us

Where do these principles come from? Where did the concept of honor come from in the young nobleman? This concept, of course, was communicated to him. It was brought up. Naturally, any principle that a person follows is either brought up and instilled from childhood or arises as a result of life experience.

The principles are very different. So, starting from the usual: never call (write) first, do not eat meat or drink coffee, use things only from the same manufacturer and others; to quite unusual and radical ones: for example, it is customary for Muslims to take revenge for the death of a relative; cannibals in Africa teach children, as a matter of principle, not to eat their fellow tribesmen, but to feast only on their enemies. That is, the principle can be both a restriction (an officer’s honor, a cannibal’s appetite) and an incentive to action (Muslim blood feud).

What then do principles teach if they can be so varied? What then unites them under one concept?

It's quite simple: honor forces an officer to always act in his own interests, a Muslim who is ready to take revenge also does it for a higher purpose, because he believes that it is right (of course, from the point of view of the safety of other people, this is not very good). Both one and the other sacrifice a lot for the sake of their principles, both are ready to give their lives for their beliefs. Yes, the example is a little radical, and if there are better ones, please provide them in the comments to the article.

Often, principled people are ready to give up a comfortable chair in the office, and delicious sandwich for the sake of an idea, although in our time this is also a very rare occurrence. Our principles tend to be more down-to-earth, covering food, clothing, relationships and people.

Can principles change with age?

There is only one answer to this question: of course they can. Moreover, they must change, because it is impossible to adhere to the same beliefs as a teenager and as an adult.

Changing principles usually occurs through three main reasons:

1. Change of world view.
2. Human maturation, both age-related and mental.
3. Under the influence of other people, whose life core (beliefs) turned out to be more significant.

In general, teenagers are characterized by maximalism, so here whims and principles are often intertwined. The abandonment of such considerations will take place on its own, with age. Different principles help us at different stages of life. Some of them remain, while others are abandoned due to their possible insolvency.

The question of integrity and unprincipledness is very interesting and the main thing in it is to find a middle ground. It is impossible to have a bunch of principles and constantly follow them, because in this case the time will come when none of your friends and family will want to put up with them, and you will be left alone. At the same time, you cannot be an “invertebrate” and float with the flow of life, hitting the shores, and without drawing any conclusions from this for yourself.

Usually, a person’s integrity a priori presupposes his uncompromisingness. He is not ready to deviate from his rules even when it concerns people dear to him. This is definitely wrong! Of course, different situations happen in life, and if you don’t neglect your own principles for the sake of friends and dear people, then why are such principles needed at all? This turns out to be the same thing as not caring about anyone and being unprincipled.

Remember that whatever principles you have, use them wisely. They should not offend, harm or bother you or others. Be prepared to give in, compromise, and neglect your own principles, especially for the sake of loved ones.

The principles of human life described in this article are not the revelation of any of the prophets, are not compiled by a famous author, and do not resonate with God’s commandments (and if they do, it is not for religious reasons). These principles are realized by me, based on my personal experience and subjective perception.

Be merciful and kind

I am not a member of a cult and I am not encouraging you to join the Peace Corps. Doing good can be much more difficult in small things, on an everyday scale, than saving the world. This is what the first principle says - in every situation that fills a person’s every day, there are different lines of behavior and, accordingly, options for action. By choosing one that has a good message, you not only do yourself good (because good always comes back), but you also inspire others to do the same. Not only epidemics and affectionate words spread from person to person, mercy and consideration for others can also infect people.

Be brave

The longer humanity exists, the more precisely the beaten paths are worked out, and the easier it becomes to follow them. Being brave doesn't necessarily mean going against the grain and going against society - you probably don't want to at all. Being brave means doing what you want, doing what you feel, and saying what you think.

Have the courage to dream. Have the courage to create. And most importantly, have the courage to act.

Always remember that you are not alone

Very often it seems to us that we are alone against the whole world. That no one can help us, and we must do everything ourselves. Taking responsibility for your life and actions is very good, but you shouldn’t lock yourself in the bubble of your own “I can” and “I do,” because there are things that are beyond a person’s control or things that you definitely can’t do alone.

Remember two things: firstly, you are not alone - look around: there are many people around who are ready and able to help you and provide support. Believe in people. Secondly, no matter how you feel about religion, it is stupid to deny that there are no higher powers besides man. There is something much larger in this world than each of us individually. For some it is God, for others it is the Universe, for others it is the unity of all living beings. Don't forget that you are not alone in the scale. huge world. You won’t get lost, they look after you, they help you, they take care of you. Always.

Be here and now

One of the main life principles that is most difficult to follow is to stay in the present, to live in it. Living in the past or future is a huge temptation, an excellent means of escaping reality. But the reality is that if you don't manage your present, either your past will define you or your future will be built by someone else. And in order to manage the present, you need to be in it. Develop awareness, learn to fixate on the “here and now.”

Analyze

Live your life without trying to understand the causes and consequences of your own actions, events of your life means wasting it. Don't float with the flow like a log, get into the boat and control its movement. To do this, you will need to become an analyzer of what is happening both inside and around you. Don't be that person who, when you die, understands less than when you were first born. Analyze yourself - if you understand yourself, you will have access to understanding the whole world.

Explore

In our wonderful world there are enough reasons to be surprised for the life of every person. Humanity has existed for several thousand years, and the world continues to surprise us. Don’t lose your child’s curiosity, look at everything as if you were seeing it for the first time. Don't be afraid to explore new things, make discoveries of any scale, and your life will never be boring. Already now it is filled with thousands of amazing things that are worth learning about, that are worth noticing and studying. Live with wide with open eyes, consciousness and heart.

Love

Without love the most bright life- only a shadow of what it could be, if a person let into it the highest feeling - love. Giving and receiving love in order to be happy is as important as breathing and eating in order to live. Trusting your feelings is risky and scary, but remember the second principle? Be brave when it comes to love because it is the only thing that can make you truly happy. Love is the highest reward, and it requires a lot of work. Love needs to be cherished, nurtured, supported and developed - then its fruits will make you the happiest of people.