The Principles We Live By
Determining the principles you live by is the first step to the good life
Who are you and what do you represent? This is a question I ask myself every single week. Life moves fast and too often, we never stop to investigate ourselves and the principles we live by.
One of the most known sayings from the ancient world, Know Thyself, documented by Stobaeus and found at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, is a principle I have leaned on heavily every single week. It is a reminder to myself to not only be true to oneself, but also, to never stop learning about yourself.
In an effort to construct himself, Michel de Montaigne carved into the beams of his ceiling maxims that built the foundation of his intellectual and moral mind. It was these sayings and beliefs that both literally and figuratively protected him from the world.
Below are seven of the hundreds of principles I live by and reflect on weekly.
Nothing that I Endure is New
The psychoanalyst Theodor Reik once wrote that history does not repeat but does seem to rhyme. While the events are novel to me, they are not new to humanity. If others have experienced the same event, feeling, or situation and overcame it, then so can I.
The Roman playwright Terence summarized this in his phrase Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto:
“I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me.”
It’s a reminder to myself that no matter how chaotic the world becomes, others have also endured it or something like it, and I too can overcome it.
Our Actions are from Our Thoughts
Our mind is incredibly powerful. It has the power to dictate so many aspects of our lives. But if we do not learn how best to work with it, then it can lead to consequences or missed opportunities.
Know thyself applies here to better understanding how my individual mind works. But more than that, it is a reminder that thoughts and beliefs lead to actions. Keeping the mind sharp, constantly investigating thoughts that arise, the ability to apply reason to situations, these are critical steps to what actions will follow.
Marcus Aurelius reminded himself of this, writing:
“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.”
Clean thoughts lead to clean actions. Muddled thoughts lead to unknown actions.
Actions, Not Words
“Acta non verba” is the Latin phrase meaning Actions, Not Words. Much of life is learning to deal with bullshit, the things people say, the things they don’t do.
But I don’t control other people. I only control myself.
Therefore I want my actions to represent myself, not just my words. If I say I am going to do something, I want that to translate into action. And I take the steps to translate it into action.
Too often life is filled with people who think words are enough—they’re not. Action is critical to life and to building one’s character.
I am a Work in Progress
Epictetus once said to his students:
“If anyone would take these two words to heart and use them for his own guidance and regulation, he will be almost without sin and will lead a very peaceful life. These two words are persist and resist.”
It is a reminder that we are all works in progress. While we can never truly reach a destination of perfection, we can constantly evolve ourselves to be better than we were yesterday. I judge each day I live by asking myself if I lived it better than the day before. I do not always succeed, but I shoot to live today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today.
There is comfort in seeking progress, and from progress comes more comfort because you are better today than a year before. It is a self-sustaining way of improving one’s life and compounds over time.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, sums this up perfectly when he writes:
“Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be. Success is the product of daily habits--not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.”
A Change May be Needed
Life is short and the actions we take are critical to how we will enjoy our lives. But we all go through ups and downs. Some weeks or months are better than others. Sometimes we feel on top of the world like anything is possible and other times we feel like everything is hopeless.
When I have been in a negative state for too long, I begin reflecting on what Steve Jobs once said:
“When I was 17, l read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, l have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life would I want to do what l am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
If I have been in a situation that has not provided me the value I need, whether it be financial, intellectual, or personal, I begin investigating it and attempt to determine what is lacking in the situation that I need. Once I figure that out, I take appropriate actions to move in the direction that will fix the situation, whether it be staying in the situation and trying to fix it or leaving it completely and moving on.
Only through internal reflection is a solution realized.
Be Happy with What You Have
We live in a consumer culture that is always trying to tell you that you need something new or more to be happy. You need the house with the swimming pool, you need the latest iPhone, you need to send your children to the best middle school.
But the fact is, we often are happiest when we stop desiring the mores and are instead grateful for what we have. For example, for the first time in history, the majority of people do not need to worry about their next meal. A little over a hundred years ago, people were dying in the streets of New York from starvation as they looked for work to buy food.
By taking a step back and understanding the privilege of today, I am better able to limit my desires. As Seneca wrote to Lucilius:
“It is not the man who has little, but he who desires more, that is poor.”
Epictetus also nicely summarized this for his students, stating:
“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”
Avoid Dogmatism
There is so much new knowledge we are learning every single day about ourselves and the world we live in. One must be willing to give up their preconceived notions on a topic if new or better evidence comes to light to suggest otherwise.
Too often, we look at knowledge as being fixed—once we learn something, that is the truth to us here on out. But the fact of the matter is, life changes in an instant and new evidence can be presented daily that would have us question our previously held beliefs.
As the famed physicist Richard Feynman once stated:
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself--and you are the easiest person to fool."
This isn’t about being a leaf in the wind, having one’s beliefs pushed and pulled with anything new. Rather, it is being skeptical of what we know and believe, as well as what new evidence comes to light. It is about constantly stress-testing ideas to see if they logically meet the criteria to become beliefs.
One does not gain knowledge simply by being told something, they gain knowledge by applying wisdom in a practical way to life.
These are just a few of the hundreds of principles I use on a weekly basis to live my life.
What principles do you live by that help you in your every day life?
Thank you again for reading and I hope you found this useful. Please feel free to heart, comment, or ask questions about this post. Suggestions are always appreciated and considered.
Until next week,
D.A. DiGerolamo