Principles: The Ultimate Technology
Today, I noticed a few things. My car started. The engine ran. The highway overpass, a marvel of engineering, didn’t collapse. No delays from planes falling out of the sky.
I get home, check my emails. My browser didn’t route my checking balance to the Central Bank of Kyrgyzstan. Gmail didn’t hold my password for ransom. My phone didn’t explode as I spoke to a friend I hadn’t talked to in years. All this was powered by a robust and steadily available stream of electricity.
It’s easy to be pessimistic about technology, especially today. A lot of bad things could happen: the nightmare scenarios above are entirely plausible. But they remain overwhelmingly the stuff of nightmares, not reality.
Now we’re in the age of AI, and people are rightfully apprehensive. It could take most of our jobs, hijack our infrastructure, and sow chaos through misinformation. We have this notion, delivered to us in films long before AI actually arrived, that AI could replicate some mistake into infinity, turning humanity into paperclips in the process. Or, it could simply decide it hates us and the earth is better off without us.
Will the worst-case scenario unfold in the future? Probably not, thanks to the incredible technology that prevents all those awful things from happening: the principles upholding Western civilization.
These principles don’t arise out of thin air. Like all technology, they’re the result of exhaustive trial and error, the best possible iterations of a given form. Unlike other technologies, which bring energy and matter into a usable state, principles transform our highest human drives into actions that allow for the responsible and productive use of these creations. In this way, they’re the most important technology of all.
When the Industrial Revolution choked our cities in smog, principled action quickly cleaned them up, allowing for explosive growth and flourishing. When the world was threatened with nuclear war, principled diplomacy by Western powers made sure we didn’t destroy each other out of selfish fear: Even our most dangerous enemies, it turns out, ultimately yield to these principles. In our daily lives, the principled acts of our neighbors, family, clergy, and elected officials keep us sane, safe, and connected.
It’s only when power is wielded without the technology of principles that we get into trouble. The reasons we use the tools at our disposal will be far more important than how we use them. At The Believe! Journal, we believe the best possible use of technology—and the best outcomes for society—would be guided by the following Principles, the very same ones that shaped America and civilization as we know it:
- Unlimited Potential. We believe in people. We know every person has God-given gifts and can transform their lives and the lives of those around them.
- Accountability. We believe in high expectations. We hold people responsible for their actions and encourage them to excel, while rejecting excuses and mediocrity.
- An Upward Look. We believe in optimism. We trust that everyone can help make tomorrow better than today and that positive people are capable of extraordinary things.
- Free Enterprise. We believe that a spirit of entrepreneurship can solve every problem, in business and communities, and that bottom-up empowerment beats top-down control.
- Human Dignity. We believe everyone has innate worth. We respect differences while recognizing that race, gender, and other characteristics describe but don’t define people.
- America. We believe America is built on the best foundation. We acknowledge the many failures of the past and present while embracing our duty to build a more perfect union.
- The Power of Persistence. We believe in never giving up. We know that failure is essential to finding success, and “can’t” is not a word we use.
- God and His Church. We believe in the Christian faith. We respect every religious tradition and, consistent with our faith, extend grace to everyone in pursuit of the truth and common good.
- The Family. We believe the family is foundational for success. We understand that families take many forms while recognizing that children need the love and support of two parents.
We didn’t invent these principles, we’ve just put words to them. Many are as old as time. Some are uniquely suited to today’s complex, connected, and competitive business environment. But all represent a basis for responsible action, now and wherever the future may take us. They’re the bedrock of all lasting achievements, and our best hope for a better tomorrow. We see these Principles as our greatest and most fundamental technology.
