You should change your belief in a rule when you discover the rule is false, notice limits to it, find a better rule, or discover and live the principle that it came from. The best way to ensure you have the best set of rules is to always live the rules you believe. By doing so, you will quickly gather evidence for or against the rule, learn its limits, and gain motivation to exert greater effort in finding something better.
One barrier that prevents people from living principles is their willingness to change their principles in the moment as a result of an increase in cost for the living the principle or increased desire for something that violates it. You cannot be a principled person while violating your principles when they are tested. The benefits of living by principles are gained precisely by living them at all times and in all places. Principles can change, but you should view those changes as intentional and outside of the scope of what happens as a part of daily life. Changing your principles isn’t something you do when you are in the middle of something else. They should be changed through intentional thought and during set aside time.
Shifts to character qualities are done through looking for and finding examples of people with better character than you. You can assess your character qualities, choose qualities that are better than your own, and intentionally apply them in daily life. An effective strategy for making these changes is given in the author’s book Joy on Purpose.
Footnotes
- 1. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19) ↩
- 2. Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end. (3 Nephi 15:5) ↩
- 3. The Lord made several statements to indicate that some commandments are more important than others. For example: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40) ↩
- 4. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16) ↩
- 5. He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation. (2 Nephi 26:24) ↩