HAVING YOUR OWN PRINCIPLES

（书籍中 Introduction 部分）

We come by our principles in different ways. Sometimes we gain them through our own experiences and reflections.（自己的经历和反思）

Sometimes we accept them from others, like our parents, or we adopt holistic packages of principles, such as those of religions and legal frameworks.

（来自周围的环境和他人，例如自己的父母、周围的朋友等）

Because we each have our own goals and our own natures, each of us must choose our own principles to match them.

（每个人的目标不同，自己的特性也不同，每个人都应该有自己的 原则 （符合周围的状况））

While it isn’t necessarily a bad thing to use others’ principles, adopting principles without giving them much thought can expose you to the risk of acting in ways inconsistent with your goals and your nature.

（别人的原则不一定符合你的目标与环境，所以要有自己的原则。实际上自己在看这本书的时候发现作者的一些原则也适合我自己）

 At the same time, you, like me, probably don’t know everything you need to know and would be wise to embrace that fact. （接受自己无知的现实）

If you can think for yourself while being open-minded in a clear headed way to find out what is best for you to do, and if you can summon up the courage to do it, you will make the most of your life. 

如果以开放的心态去挖掘适合你的原则，而且有勇气去做，你会过上不错的生活。

If you can’t do that, you should reflect on why that is, because that’s most likely your greatest impediment to getting more of what you want out of life.

（如果你不去找自己的原则，你应该反思自己为什么不去找自己的原则，因为这很有可能是你过不上你想要的生活的最大障碍）

That brings me to my first principle:

• Think for yourself to decide

1) what you want,

2) what is true,

and 3) what you should do to achieve #1 in light of #2 . . .

. . . and do that with humility and open-mindedness so that you consider the best thinking available to you. Being clear on your principles is important because they will affect all aspects of your life, many times a day.

（这句话应该多读几遍，作者的第一原则）

For example, when you enter into relationships with others, your principles and their principles will determine how you interact. People who have shared values and principles get along. （共同价值观的人相处）People who don’t will suffer through constant misunderstandings and conflicts. Think about the people you are closest to: Are their values aligned with yours? Do you even know what their values or principles are? Too often in relationships, people’s principles aren’t clear. This is especially problematic in organizations where people need to have shared principles to be successful. Being crystal clear about my principles is why I labored so much over every sentence in this book.

The principles you choose can be anything you want them to be as long as they are authentic—i.e., as long as they reflect your true character and values. 

You will be faced with millions of choices in life, and the way you make them will reflect the principles you have—so it won’t be long before the people around you will be able to tell the principles you are really operating by. 

The worst thing you can be is a phony（欺骗）, because if you’re a phony you will lose people’s trust and your own self-respect. 

So you must be clear about your principles and then you must “walk the talk.” （知行合一）If inconsistencies seem to exist, you should explain them. 

It’s best to do that in writing because by doing so, you will refine your written principles.（改善你的原则）

While I will be sharing my own principles, I want to make clear to you that I don’t expect you to follow them blindly. On the contrary, I want you to question every word and pick and choose among these principles so you come away with a mix that suits you.

（批判性的对待作者书中的原则，选择适合你自己的原则）