Happy Birthday John Perry Barlow
October 3rd is what would have been John Perry Barlow’s 71st birthday. He was a very interesting man; an American poet and essayist, a cattle rancher and a political activist. He was also a lyricist for The Grateful Dead. Below are his Principles of Adult Behavior, of which he wrote on his 30th birthday in 1977.
Principles of Adult Behavior
by John Perry Barlow
Lyricist for the Grateful Dead written on his 30th birthday in 1977
1. Be patient. No matter what.
2. Don’t badmouth; assign responsibility, never blame. Say nothing behind another’s back you’d be willing to say, in exactly the same tone and language, to his face.
3. Never assume the motives of others are, to them, less noble than yours are to you.
4. Expand your sense of the possible.
5. Don’t trouble yourself with matters you truly cannot change.
6. Expect no more of anyone than you yourself can deliver.
7. Tolerate ambiguity.
8. Laugh at yourself frequently.
9. Concern yourself with what is right rather than whom is right.
10. Never forget that no matter how certain, you might be wrong.
11. Give up blood sports.
12. Remember that your life belongs to others as well. Do not endanger it frivolously. And never endanger the life of another.
13. Never lie to anyone for any reason.
14. Learn the needs of those around you and respect them.
15. Avoid the pursuit of happiness. Seek to define your mission and pursue that.
16. Reduce the use of the first personal pronoun.
17. Praise at least as often as you disparage.
18. Never let your errors pass without admission.
19. Become less suspicious of joy.
20. Understand humility.
21. Forgive.
22. Foster dignity.
23. Live memorably.
24. Love yourself.
25. Endure.
We've memorialized one of the above principles on the insert of The enmarie® On-the-Go Collection. Can you find it?
What are your three favorites (because it is really hard to choose just one)?
You can learn more about John Perry Barlow's life in this obituary, here.