Empowering Principles

Truth is empowering.

Principles--the natural laws of reason--are what this power is all about.  It is the discovery, mastery, and integration of principles that bring power to individuals, families, and nations.  Without acknowledgement of these natural laws, we become frustrated and confused.  It is similar to trying to avoid acknowledging gravity.  If we fail to acknowledge it, we will become frustrated and other more serious consequences could follow such as physical injury and death.  Most would readily admit that it would be flat stupid to ignore gravity; yet, it is so easy to forget other important natural laws, especially when those laws have to do with human interactions.

When we properly use principles, they empower us.  The late Steven R. Covey, a noted scholar in the field of human interactions said:

"When these truths (or principles) are internalized into habits, they empower people to create a wide variety of practices to deal with different situations."

Interestingly, these truths aren't often accepted or taught in society.  Why?  The popular culture wants easy, quick-fix solutions.  Internalizing principles requires effort, takes time, and the consequences often show themselves on a more long-term basis. In other words, instead of just using techniques, we have to allow principles to become a part of us.

That is our first challenge.  Finding the desire, giving the effort, and internalizing long-term principles.  Our next puzzle piece will talk about differences between internal characteristics and external behaviors, and how these apply to using the empowering nature of principles.


Addressing An Argument Against the Eternal Unchanging Nature of Truth
Truth in and of itself is an interesting thing to talk about.  First, its often seen in today's popular culture as something that is solely relative; truth is only true for individuals, not for everyone and that it can change from time to time.

These theories and ideas are based on correlating truth with the application of a principle.   First, application is the way that a principle is put into action.  A single principle can have an infinite amount of applications based on situational factors.  This implies that what worked for me in one situation might not work for me in a different situation.  Steven R. Covey stated this about the application of principles (or "practices"):

"Principles are not practices.  A practice is a specific activity or action.  A practice that works in one circumstance will not necessarily work in another, as parents who have tried to raise a second child exactly like they did the first can readily attest."

Truth is still true even when the majority, or even all people, reject it.  Even when the people of the world thought they knew the world as flat, did that make the earth go flat?  Thank goodness for the eternal, unchanging nature of truth.