Do you have a personal version of your own Commandments?

In My Humble Opinion
1

This thread isn’t just about things that you feel strongly about. It is about pre-decisions that you follow no matter what else happens or how you feel about individual situations that come up. I find that pre-decision making in the form of personal Commandments is a very effective strategy to take away any possibility of temporary bad decisions. Like religious people on the Sabbath, you just follow them without question but your former self is the God in this case.

Here are some examples from me:

  1. Never leave your kids - I don’t mean never leave their side. I mean they are your primary responsibility above all others and you have to do what it takes to support them in all ways until they reach adulthood. I am divorced and have no family that lives remotely close to Massachusetts. Some fathers in my situation would leave. I do not and will not because I made up my mind on this a very long time ago despite repeated pleas from other family members.

  2. Never entertain salespeople - This is a very useful one for everyone. This Commandment is to automatically reject to every solicitation for an agreement or money. It is is an automatic ‘No!’. Repeat as necessary forever if you have to and mean it. Learn this one well and it will always benefit you. In the unlikely event they are really offering you a good deal, you can go home and do more research on your own and come back later.

  3. Always help someone in true distress - Studies show that most people think that they would help people in life-threatening situations yet few actually do. I have used that to turn in into my own personal Commandment to do whatever it takes to save someone going through a life-threatening situation as long as it won’t mean my certain death (see rule#1). It has come up twice in the last eight years.

I have a few others as well that others would probably not agree with nearly so well regarding financial matters and views of true family versus others but I gave you some good examples to get you started.

What are your personal Commandments that you can set to run on autopilot when individual decisions seem complicated?

2

If I’m feeling pressured about a decision, decide later. (emergency situations get a possible exempt - however there’s a bit of leeway on “later” so I still try to apply the rule even then.)

Don’t allow myself to feel responsible for or guilty about anyone else’s emotional state.

Do not lend money to anyone. If it’s needed, and I can afford it, give freely.

3

[ul]
[li]I shalt* always speak up with tact and grace against incidents that violate my moral code.[/li][li]I shalt not kill unless it is in defense of an innocent person’s life.[/li][li]I shalt do everything in my power to avoid moving back in with my mother.[/li][li]I shalt never become involved in any more abusive or unequal relationships. Should a relationship that was previously not abusive or unequal become so, I shalt exit said relationship as soon as it is safe to do so without endangering my own life.[/li][li]I shalt not make life-changing decisions while exhausted.[/li][li]I shalt always offer assistance to a stranded motorist, unless stopping to do so would imperil my life.[/li][li]I shalt never harm a person or animal intentionally. If I do so accidentally, I shalt apologize out loud to the person or animal and feel regret commensurate with its intelligence (even if it’s dead).[/li][/ul]
*I know it should technically be shall, but that doesn’t sound as commandmenty as shalt.

4

My code:

  1. If I say I need to think about it and you say that you need an answer now, then the answer is always no.
  2. Never buy anything from a salesperson who seeks you out at your home, work or on the phone.
  3. Give money to institutions that help the homeless, but never give money to beggars on the street (cigarettes were okay when I smoked)
  4. Never vote for a republican
  5. Never high five
  6. Don’t trust people who don’t like dogs
  7. Never go with a hippie to a second location
  8. Never break a promise to my wife
  9. Always travel with Tabasco sauce
  10. Don’t trust anyone who doesn’t have a sense of humor
5

No cats leave my hands intact.
Don’t hurt anyone.

6
  1. To the best of your ability, never be unkind or hurtful.
  2. Never believe a man who tells you he loves you before you’ve slept with him; if you’re lucky he’s lying to you, if you’re unlucky he’s lying to himself.
  3. Don’t forget - most people aren’t malicious, they’re just self-centered.
  4. Keep the spark of childlike innocence alive as long as possible, in yourself and in others.
7

All things in moderation–including moderation.

8

to paraphrase Rabbi Hillel: “Keep your mouth shut; all else is commentary. And keep the comentary to yourself, too.”

9

Mine are simple, but useful:

-Don’t be lazy
-Don’t be a jerk
-Don’t be wasteful

10

Don’t fuck up – don’t be the guy that people can point to and say, “It’s his fault”.
Don’t kill anybody, even by accident.
Listen carefully. Pay attention – THEN dismiss others’ opinions.
Don’t leave hair or fingerprint evidence.

11

[Air Guitar] Be excellent to each other! [/AG]