What comes first: People or Principles?

People and principles come into tension all the time. There are principles we must apply that create discomfort in people and people we interact with who violate important principles.

This tension rarely, if ever, resolves itself. Therefore, we must prioritize which comes first: the principle or the person?

Putting principles first creates discomfort for people. Putting people first creates weak or inconsistent principles. That's the root of the tension.

When a worthy and appropriate principle creates personal discomfort for someone, yourself included, do not soften or fail to apply the principle to save the person from discomfort.

Apply the principle and work together through the discomfort.

What good is personal comfort if you lower or ignore your principles to keep it?

The time is now. Do the work.