A few weeks ago I wrote the following in the post Global Happiness; 'I can live by guiding principles of my choosing. I can live with compassion and empathy for others. Having learned from the past, I can live in the moment, for the future. I can live without making excuses. I can live with the knowledge that my humanity will interfere with the nobility of the thoughts above. And I can live each day making a concerted effort to transcend my humanity.'

This week I have some guiding principles clashing with my compassion and empathy for others, and my humanity is definitely interfering. I am struggling to determine the 'right' (meaning moral, ethical, principled) course of action that will maximize exoteric goodness and inner peace. From a short-term perspective I know the answer, and I believe the short-term answer is frequently the 'easy' choice. But I do not want to confuse 'in the moment' and 'for the moment' by making the easy choice. So I believe I need to look at it from a long-term perspective, where I believe the choice becomes more difficult and has a greater potential to create upheaval and turmoil for both myself and others; (though others - potentially excepting significant others - will likely recover more quickly than I).

'Last week' I wrote about free-will and how it resides in the choice, not in the outcome. The thoughts from that post have broadened my sense of justice to include potential undesirable (from my perspective) outcomes. Perhaps it is 'just' that I get slathered with some of the blowback; it is after all, a result of my choice. And I tend to rock the boat with difficult choices, both in thoughtful analysis and in execution. This is relevant to the previous paragraph in that I am now more cognizant of (and more amenable to?) the potential value of short-term gains.

So how does one balance consideration for others with their own principled sense of right and wrong? Yes, compassion and empathy is a principle as well, but it is a principle that in its execution is projected outwards (though it may originate from within), whereas the conflicting principles I'm dealing with this week originate from within and reside within. Of late I have behaved as if esoteric principles trump exoteric principles. (Again, I believe all principles originate from or have been implanted within, but exoteric principles - like exoteric goodness - not only project outward but are identifiably recognizable by others, whereas esoteric principles are intuitive and difficult to objectify or put into words.)

With all that said, I have run headlong into the question, can one justify and live with one's principles being bought? Of course one's principles 'can' be bought, but that in itself generally goes against my principles. But ... If exoteric and esoteric principles conflict, can a payment (monetary or otherwise) sway/influence one's stand on principle. In this specific case, my esoteric principles hold an edge over my exoteric principles by about 2 to 1, but I also realize that (as I implied last week) I do not have a stellar track record for accurately predicting the outcomes of my free-will choices. So in the interest of balance - both empirical/transcendental and exoteric/esoteric - perhaps empirical payment/reward should have some influence. Which brings me to the question, how much influence?

If I typically give esoteric principles a 2 to 1 edge over exoteric principles, is there an empirical value that can level the playing field or give outwardly-projected principles the edge? And if so, is that okay? My instinct says that esoteric principles should always trump exoteric principles, but the world at times, seems to say differently. From my observations/perspective, we too often make the 'easy' choice and too frequently go along to get along. I often take this perceived bias into account and intentionally choose to rock the boat. But since my thoughts last week (expanding my sense of justice to include my own bouts of seasickness) I am waffling.

I ask again - Are my (esoteric-intuitive-difficult to objectify or put into words) principles for sale? If I have to answer right now - I give you a resounding ... Maybe. At the very least, we can negotiate.

One Day Later - I have just reread the draft of this post, and by agreeing to negotiate, I feel compromised and violated. But from an exoteric, empirical perspective, and in the interest of calm seas, I am still willing to hear your offer.