The man of principle
never forgets what he is,
because of what others are.
Baltasar Gracian
This is one of my all-time favorite quotes from one of my favorite authors. The warrior is a man of principle. He doesn’t set his principles aside when they do not seem convenient. Today many people do just that. They use the actions of others to justify their own bad behavior.
Statements such as, “Well I wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t shoved me, cursed me, etc.” are commonly heard to justify wrong behavior. The warrior should not allow the behavior of others to affect his behavior, as far as doing things that are against his principles.
The warrior never forgets who he is or what he is, because of what others are or what others do. If someone is acting like a jerk, that doesn’t give you a free pass to set aside your principles. Someone else’s actions have nothing to do with you. You are responsible for your actions, not someone else’s actions.
Someone else being what they are, whether it is a jerk, a criminal, or whatever, should not cause you to forget who you are, and that is a man of principle. You must live independently from the actions of others. Don’t allow the actions of others to cause you to compromise your principles. This is an easy trap to walk into.
Think rationally and remember who you are and what you are. You have a code to live up to. That code is not dependent on what other people do or do not do. It stands alone, unaffected by the act of others. The man of principle never forgets what or who he is.
