The 9th Principle of Adult Behaviour
Until the day of writing I had never heard of John Perry Barlow, a luminary for human liberty amongst a long list other things. John died at the age of seventy on the 7 February 2018, and incidentally the same day as my brother's (one of four) thirty-fifth birthday. It was only by the ensuing celebration of John's life rippling across the open web community that I became aware of John and a list of principles he wrote and chose to live by. It was his 'Principles of Adult Behaviour' that grabbed my interest, and in particular the 9th principle that had impressed upon me a new deeper sense of truth and clarity.
"9. Concern yourself with what is right rather than who is right."
John Perry Barlow (1947-2018)
At a point of self re-evaluation and with keenness to live more purposefully and mindfully, I quickly adopted this principle to live by. It is my belief that if we are lucky enough make discoveries that improve our own lives and will benefit others, we should honour this knowledge by endeavouring to apply it in our own practice and being prepared to share. Like John I share this principle with you in the hope that it will be of benefit, and also for my own accountability. In this way these principles, the raw wisdom, and the man I knew so little about will live on and continue to reach new generations.
You can find out more about John Perry Barlow, the co-founder of the non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation, and browse a library of his articles on the EFF website.