i.

i am first of all a living entity.

that is, i was born, i live, i will die.

being human, i have the ability for self-awareness.

that is, i can engage in abstract thought and self-reflexive behavior.

such self-awareness leads to certain questions: who am i? how will i live my life? what consequences will my actions have on others?

my ability to ask those questions demands i provide answers. my duty to provide answers demands i provide the best answers possible.

in order to provide such answers, self-awareness must fulfill three basic principles:

1. the principle of understanding;

2. the principle of choice; and

3. the principle of responsibility.

taken together, these principles mean that i am a living being who does not deny but rather accept reality as I am best able to understand it;

who actively makes choices and owns the choices made, whether good or bad;

and who understands and accepts the responsibility that comes from making choices and owns the consequences of those choices for myself and others.