What I Believe

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I believe that mankind is not inherently good at heart. Each of us faces the temptation to act selfishly, unkindly, and even cruelly. We must overcome those desires to demonstrate love, friendship, and citizenship.

I believe that some things are right and wrong independent of circumstances. I also believe that it is very difficult to make an all-encompassing list of absolutes, so I haven't seriously tried. Perhaps that is a failure of my philosophy.

I believe that people don't change. If you know someone truly and love her, the qualities you love about her will not change. Similarly, if a friend drives you crazy for his bad habits or strange behaviors, do not expect him to change. Though people do grow and mature and learn, a person's basic personality will stay constant throughout his life.

I believe that people can change. Even the vilest criminal can change his ways. People overcome addictions, find hope, grow into responsibilities, and prove that humanity has a tremendous advantage: the ability to adapt to new circumstances. If you give people the opportunity to live up to your high expectations, sometimes they will exceed them.

I believe that there are several kinds of love. Patriotism or community love is the idea that you share a bond with the people close to you geographically. Familial love is the idea that blood or adoptive relationships represent a commitment of support and care. Friendship is the practice of mutual goals and interests. Physical love is the pursuit of pleasure. Selfless love is the desire to put the true needs of another person ahead of your own regardless of the price you pay.

I believe that being alone is not the same as being lonely. At times, solitude is a gift that everyone should enjoy. You can only truly know yourself when you are alone. Yet this is not the best way for everyone to live — we all need other people.

I believe that it is better to be alone than to be with the wrong person or the right person at the wrong time. Real love builds up — it exposes insecurities and fears and removes them. Any love that brings more misery than joy and more pain than contentment is a pale shadow of the real thing.

I believe that men and women can be friends without any hint of romantic entanglement. Any culture that does not promote this idea, or worse, cannot even conceive of such a thing, is broken.

I believe that two people who truly love each other and are both willing to pursue peace can overcome any issue between them. I also believe that this is both more difficult than it sounds and more worthwhile than I can imagine right now.

I believe that you cannot talk another person into loving you with true unselfish love. You can only ask.

I believe that giving love selflessly but not receiving it in return does not diminish me.

I believe that honesty is the best policy and that openness is better than hidden motives and maneuverings. Yet I also believe that there is a time and a place for complete honesty and that some conversations should wait. It is also important to keep in mind tact and appropriateness.

I believe that being kind to animals, children, and anonymous strangers is imporant to my well-being. Yelling at other drivers, for example, or making fun of odd people waiting for the bus demeans people in my mind and causes me to appreciate their humanity, personhood, and value less than I should.

I believe that every human being has value not tied to talent, skill, wealth, potential, status, nationality, gender, or ability. Everyone deserves the right to pursue happiness in freedom. We must protect these rights in communities that keep in mind the value of the individual while respecting the rights of the other people in the community.

I believe that hard work and skill will lead to rewards and I believe that promoting hard work and skill will encourage people to practice them more often. Any system that encourages people not to work productively or removes some of the rewards for working productively and well will actually harm the community in the long term.

I believe that it is important for communities to take care of people who serve it, who have served it well, and who cannot take care of themselves. There is no shame in providing for the weak and defenseless. In fact, that is one reason why some people have far more than they need — to give them the opportunity to provide for the necessities of others.

I believe that knowledge is a reward of constant and careful study. It can never replace wisdom, but combined with discipline and hard work, they form an unbeatable combination.

I believe that knowledge, empericism, and deduction alone cannot answer all of the philosophical questions of the world. At some point, you must acknowledge your doubt, take a small hop of faith, and acknowledge that you may never solve all of the mysteries of the world.

I believe that simplicity is better than complexity. Small changes are easier than large changes. Frequent progress is better than large, dramatic, and occasional leaps.

I believe that unreasonable people change the world. Not everyone who is unreasonable will change the world, and not everything unreasonable is necessarily good, but the first step toward changing the world lies in not accepting it as it is.

I believe that rest and play are as important as work. Balance and moderation are the keys to sustainability. It is better to mix some work and some rest every day than to put off one in favor of overdosing on the other — only to switch when circumstances dictate it.

I believe that facing sorrows and sufferings with humility, patience, and grace builds character. When good eventually wins and the truth ultimately comes out, we can acknowledge our failures honestly and demonstrate that we have changed into the people we ought to have been from the start.