testing the principle

  It's the principle of the thing. How often do we hear that as the explanation for actions taken? I've used that myself on many occasions. It isn't aways an easy thing to do, stick to your principles, others not understanding that. Others would have you abandon your principles and adopt theirs. I get that I'm the same way. Principles are something you believe to be fundamentally true. Principles are the rules for conduct. Our principles direct what we do, how we do it, and why we do it, no matter what it is. Principles without purpose are worthless things, empty promises. For that reason, we should examine closely what principles we adopt. The primary principle for me is honesty. You have to remain honest in all things. There are no exceptions to that rule. Even white lies are lies! I try to apply the principle if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. The only issue there is deciding when what I'm saying will do any good or not. I'm thinking if I adhered strictly to that rule, I'd be a pretty quiet man. Anyone that knows me knows, I'm not quiet. Some blame that on me being a "know it all", their words not mine, but I don't know it all, I just have a lot of opinions. I feel obligated to offer my opinion, it's the principle of the thing. Everyone should be listened to, me included. That's being inclusive. Anything else is just selective inclusivity. 

 For each situation we face in life we have a principle. A great deal of that is learned behaviors. We have learned from our parents, siblings, friends, acquaintances and experiences in life. No one principle applies in every situation. All of that falls into the realm of ethics and morality. The principle is the foundation, morality and ethics are the actions. Now those that believe in the redistribution of wealth. believe everyone should have the same thing. That's the principle. Their ethics say, that can be accomplished by taking from those that have and giving it to those that don't. Theft is justified to satisfy a principle. The principle should be charity in that situation. Others giving freely of their excess to help their fellow man. All of us practice the charity principle to varying degrees. We even have a name for those that practice that principle, we call them philanthropists. Now government is business and serves a different function. Philanthropy and business are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Business is conducted to benefit the one owning the business, philanthropy is to the benefit of others. The distinction needs to be made clear. Government is concerned with everyone, not select groups. Philanthropy may center on a specific group or be in general. You can't legislate charity or philanthropy. That isn't a principle of business.

 Standing on principle. It is something everyone admires in another until that principle is in contrast to their own. Our greatest heroes and role models are based on that. Rosa Parks sat on the bus believing in her principle, four college students sat at the Woolworths lunch counter in North Carolina, Patrick Henry said, Give me Liberty or Give me Death, all were standing on principles they believed in. Are all principles correct? Of course, they aren't. At least not all principles all the time. The white lie is evidence of that. When standing on a principle no longer serves a good purpose, it is time to set that aside. Still the abandonment of principle for the sake of peace alone, is not sufficient reason. This is happening today in America. We are allowing the minority to force the abandonment of principle for the sake of the minority alone. It serves no purpose to the greater good of all. Even the most complex of problems will be solved applying a simple principle. In our most advanced computers, even those utilizing artificial intelligence, rely on a simple principle. In the computer it is zero's and one's. It's right and wrong. Right isn't always right and wrong isn't always wrong but rather part of a principle. It is one or the other. It is never something in-between. Man, invented ethics and morality for that. 

 Yes, men standing on principle have created as much chaos as they have good. Any understanding of history will bear that out. Principle created the greatest societies as well as the evilest. Principle needs to be tested against reality. Perhaps never before in history has there been such a need for that in any country as the one we live in today. The reality is black and white, hot and cold, new and old, up and down. All the areas between those realities are measured by man, guided by principle. Principle needs to be tested by reality. If our principles are causing general unrest, they need to be reviewed. Perhaps principal needs to be altered. But we mustn't fail into the trap of changing our principals in order to accommodate fantasy. Principle is the foundation to change. Just changing everything to suit the current situation, to calm those that are upset by the principle, isn't doing anything at all. What is the reality? Most children don't want to eat their vegetables, take a bath or do homework but it is best that they do. The principle is plain enough, doing the right thing. Kids don't like it but that is the principle, and we shouldn't change that. That's the reality.