Life Policies ============= We all have a set of rules by which we try to live our life, be they just common sense morals or the ten commandments as set out by the Christian bible. Personally, I like to state to myself exactly what my rules are. This reduces the likelihood of inconsistencies. No Drugs -------- I will not take any drugs. This includes so-called "soft" drugs like cannabis, completely legal drugs, like tobacco and alcohol, and substances not normally considered to be drugs, such as coffee, tea, and other drinks containing caffeine or theine. I rely on my brain continuously. Programming, writing web pages, creating stylesheets, analysing the finer points of the meaning of life, testing, playing games: everything I do relies on my brain. Therefore I cannot afford to have it affected by any sort of external chemical that may alter my state of mind. Q: Surely a pint of beer would not affect your state of mind! A: Well, while that may be the case (and I would not accept that fact without debate), I know that if I start drinking, whatever that may be (for example, orange juice) I will keep drinking. For a long time. Thus, it is in my best interests not to allow myself even a little drink. Q: So how do you enjoy yourself when you go down the pub? A: I generally don't go down the pub. In the past, on the rare occasions that I did, I would enjoy myself quite heartily by merely talking to people who are themselves already drunk. At the time, I suggested that should you be a heavy drinker, and should you find yourself strapped of cash one night, you try not drinking any alcohol for the whole night. I suggested that within about two hours you would be rolling about with laughter at the mad things people around you are doing and saying. I have since lost my interest in the inane utterings of drunk people, however. Q: What about cake? That contains some alcohol! What about chocolate? A: The levels of drugs in these foods are negligble and food is self-limiting (I can't eat enough to get addicted or to really have an effect), so I tend to not worry about drugs used in normal cooking. Q: What about painkillers and medical drugs? A: I don't take any medical drugs (painkillers, etc) on a day to day basis. I am blessed with good health. I do generally obey whatever my doctor says, though I tend to avoid medications that serve no curative purpose (e.g. medications that merely hide the symptoms without actually resolving the underlying issue). (I will sometimes take cough drops to avoid irritating coworkers when I have a sore throat.) No violence ----------- Violence generally has no upside (it serves no useful purpose) and is not enjoyable to the victim or myself. As a rule, therefore, I avoid harming other beings. Sapient life is irreplacable. Therefore I will to the best of my ability avoid killing other sapient beings. Q: How do you relieve your stress? A: Cuddling, hot tubs, video games that simulate violence... Q: You kill animals to eat! A: Humans generally have to kill to live (whether it's animal life or plant life, not to mention the continuous stream of death that happens at the microorganism level within humans). The plants and animals I eat aren't sapient. No lying -------- I will always tell the truth. Detailed observations have shown me that it never pays to lie. Admittedly most of those observations came from noting the plot of very moralistic films, but still. Q: It's really difficult not to lie! A: You get used to it. Sometimes I lie by mere gut reaction. However, if I notice, I then catch myself and say "well, actually that isn't exactly true...". I do sometimes simply fail to mention something. That's fine. The rule is "no lying", not "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth", so lying by ommission does not break the policy. No affairs ---------- When I am in a loving relationship, I will be faithful to my partner(s). Experience and observation have shown me that it never pays to cheat on your partner. (Ok, so I'm stretching it when I say "experience", but you get the idea.) Furthermore, if I love and trust the person, why should I have an affair with someone else? This is really just an extension of the "no lying" rule. Q. What do you mean by "affair"? A. For me being unfaithful implies not informing one's partner(s) of a new partner. An affair in this context would be a relationship in which one or more of the partners was being unfaithful to another partner not part of the relationship, as opposed to simply any relationship. Q. What do you mean by "unfaithful"? A. Acting in a way that conflicts with any agreements you may have with partners. No inconsistency ---------------- Consistency is a cornerstone of my existence. :-) I do lots of specification-related work, and inconsistent specs are such a pain in the neck that I abhor inconsistency. Also, I love logical debate (i.e., arguing), but it is impossible to back someone into a corner if they do not keep to a single opinion (i.e., if they are inconsistent).