2018-02-14



The 25 Principles of Adult Behavior, as written by John Perry Barlow (1947-2018) at age 30:

1.  Be patient. No matter what.
2.  Don’t badmouth: Assign responsibility, not blame. Say nothing of
     another you wouldn’t say to him.
3.  Never assume the motives of others are, to them, less noble than
     yours are to you.
4.  Expand your sense of the possible.
5.  Don’t trouble yourself with matters you truly cannot change.
6.  Expect no more of anyone than you can deliver yourself.
7.  Tolerate ambiguity.
8.  Laugh at yourself frequently.
9.  Concern yourself with what is right rather than who is right.
10. Never forget that, no matter how certain, you might be wrong.
11. Give up blood sports.
12. Remember that your life belongs to others as well. Don’t risk
      it frivolously.
13. Never lie to anyone for any reason. (Lies of omission are
      sometimes exempt.)
14. Learn the needs of those around you and respect them.
15. Avoid the pursuit of happiness. Seek to define your mission
      and pursue that.
16. Reduce your use of the first personal pronoun.
17. Praise at least as often as you disparage.
18. Admit your errors freely and soon.
19. Become less suspicious of joy.
20. Understand humility.
21. Remember that love forgives everything.
22. Foster dignity.
23. Live memorably.
24. Love yourself.
25. Endure.

"I don’t expect the perfect attainment of these principles. However, I post them as a standard for my conduct as an adult. Should any of my friends or colleagues catch me violating one of them, bust me.' [via kottke]


No comments: