A personal rule deserves another look when it only applies to people who inconvenience you.

REFLECTION

WHAT THIS MEANS

A principle that only ever gets invoked against people who annoy you is probably not a principle. Notice how the rule about punctuality appears when a certain colleague is late and vanishes when a friend is. That asymmetry is worth attention, because it usually means the rule is a tool for expressing irritation rather than a belief you hold.

Take one rule you feel strongly about and apply it to the last person you forgave. If it does not survive that, either drop it or hold it evenly. The second option is harder and it is the one that makes the rule worth having.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

Which of your principles bends when the person is you?

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