Yep. I left Reddit during the initial API crisis. I’ve left jobs because of my principles, even without backup jobs ready. There are tons of places I won’t shop (including Amazon), and it makes finding things I need difficult sometimes. I’ve also been vegan for over 20 years.

My mom’s the opposite. I grew up seeing her hypocrisy, and it upset me. She’d outright tell me, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Such a rich lesson for a young mind! I realized that a lot of people become hypocrites by repeating what others say without critical thought, and it turned me into a skeptic. So many people jump on the emotional bandwagon (see any hot button political topic for reference), but then later after hearing someone else confidently spout an opinion on it, they will stand with the opposite conclusion. If they’d stopped and thought the first time they heard about it, before opening their mouths about it, they wouldn’t come off hypocritical later on. But the distressing part is less that they changed their opinion, but that they still haven’t put any critical thought into why they hold it - it’s all just repeating others’ words. Which is why if a topic is brand new to me, I will refuse to take a side in it until I research it and come to my own conclusions. There are enough parrots repeating propaganda thoughtlessly, we have to be very careful with whom we trust.

My principles uphold the person I am. I came to them on my own, often going against the tide I grew up in. To me, the hardest part about having principles isn’t upholding them, but in dealing with those that can’t believe you actually have them. So many people seem to float on seemingly without a real sense of self, swayed more by those around them than by any sort of inner compass. I can’t fathom being like that, and those people apparently can’t fathom being like me.

All the more reason Lemmy is such a good place to be. We might not all hold the same principles, but at least many of us seem to have them.

I’d also like to note the seeming overlap of Lemmy’s populace with neurodivergence, which can coincide with, well, being a principled weirdo like me. ;)

Very. Unfortunately, that drives me to making choices that make my life very hard.

Yes, in an inflexible way that ruins my life.

I think I am principled in some things and not so much in others. Reddit has nothing to do with it. I left Reddit because it was no longer fun. I don’t want to scroll reposts of engagement bait and read the dumbest bot comments under it. I would happily keep using it if it was fun.

I strive to be, but I know I fall short of living entirely true to my values. I think we all do. But I at least try.

Probably not as much as I think I am.

I left reddit and do not contribute anymore. I do browse certain subreddits in my mobile browser, but don’t login. Lemmy is better for conversation and I like supporting the underdog in the age of content is everything.

Not particularly, no. Unless doing the things I want to do, and not doing things I don’t want to do, counts as principle.

Yes, I believe I am very principled. I struggle to live up to them, but it gives me something to strive for.

By principle I do many a thing that are against my “best interest” when it comes to relations and things that would help promote me financially. That doesn’t mean I haven’t also fucked myself over financially financially in other ways. But Ive walked from a job with nothing in savings and no safety net out of principles that the company probably will never know about nor care who I was at the end of the day.

My income ended up halved and my savings are still empty, but I sleep better at night, and now when I drink it’s for fun and not the dread of who’s lives would be ended/impacted by the fruits of my and others labor.

what would we be without principles? just dumb cavemen.

AM I? I’m the most principled materfucker there is.

I can be for the right price.

I suppose I am, relatively speaking at least.

I think most people would consider me highly, perhaps obnoxiously principled.