I only follow the laws I've made for myself. They are universal in the sense that I believe if everyone followed them, the world would be a better place. If I had to sum it all up, I guess I'd have to say the "Golden Rule" is flawed and I prefer Glass Houses.
0. Be brutally honest with yourself about yourself. You won't be genuine or honest with anyone else that follows if you can't do this first. If you think you understand yourself, you're wrong. Never stop questioning.
1. If something about someone else bothers you or inspires you, measure yourself against it honestly and use the contrast you find to grow into a better person. That doesn't mean try to be someone other than yourself. Recognize the self you want to be and strive to become it.
2. Stay modest at all times except when joking or you are the best at something and offering help. Where it is clearly wanted.
3. Don't let success or power change who you are.
4. Don't ever think you are above or below anyone; you are only measuring one aspect of their and your person. A position in a hierarchy objectively amounts to nothing.
5. You will never begin to fathom what a different walk of life is like or what type of person it demands. You will never truly know whether a person is who they are because of their environment or if they were born that way. It's wise to not assume either.
6. You can judge people, but don't judge, jury, and verdict them unless you know them inside and out.
7. Take the high road until you can't. The more chances they get in the beginning, the more they deserve what comes after the last straw.
8. If you aren't an expert, listen instead of speaking. Choose your words carefully lest they be used against you.
9. Confrontations and fights are won mentally, not physically. You can get beaten to a pulp and heal but if you get in someone's head they could be fighting you internally long after the fact. People will support the person who was not openly a confrontational prick. Know that beforehand and use it to your advantage.
10. Don't outright reject any idea, taste, or belief you have not tried or tried to empathize with. If you haven't given it a fair chance, you have no right to criticize. This includes Scientology, Glenn Beck, and country music. I would never have discovered battle rap, Radiohead, or anime without this one.
11. No decision made in a fit of emotion wasn't regretted later. Act when you are calm. Always. Time is both relative and infinite. Emotions are neither.
12. No apology is too late. If you remember, they remember. Even if they say they don't, they do and it will mean the world to them.
13. Eye contact, a smile, and calling people by their name is how you start on the right foot. People are drawn to confidence. Everyone loves talking about themselves. Even if they don't do it openly with strangers. Learn to listen and you will win their hearts. Stop talking about yourself. Eventually they'll realize they know nothing about you and will want to satisfy their newfound curiosity.
14. Never be certain of your own correctness. Always be open to the idea you could be wrong. Don't tie yourself to a sinking ship and don't feel bad if it becomes apparent you were wrong. Move on and grow. The sooner you do, the bigger you are. People will respect you for it.
15. Take no information for granted. Do your own research and draw your own conclusions. Be it from a friend, a parent, or published. No source is so foolproof they shouldn't be fact checked and screw them if they are offended by skepticism. No matter how elementary the thing is. If you can't explain in simple terms why the earth isn't flat, how can you hope to explain evolution? Nothing can ever be 100% disproven but if you can rule it as incredibly unlikely and beyond reasonable doubt, you're getting somewhere. Don't gloss over evidence to the contrary, it demands your attention the most.
16. Excessive open-mindedness becomes empty-mindedness. Realize when you know enough to take a stance.
