"A Principle isn't a Principle Until it Costs You Something"

Lindsay Camp writes a blog in which he discusses ethics and promotes his book Can I Change Your Mind, a book about persuasive writing. In the blog Lindsay quotes Bill Bernbach as saying, "a principle isn't a principle until it costs you something."

I believe Bill is saying two things when he talks about a principle costing you something. The first is that until you actually stick to a principle though a time of difficulty, you can't truly claim it as a principle of your own. Secondly, principles are not meant to help you gain or prosper. They are meant to help you make ethical decisions at the risk of prosperity.

Lindsay Camp does exactly that as he mentions in his blog. Rather than taking a job that would have paid a lot of money, Lindsay refused the business not only from the company but from any company in the industry. He feels it would be unethical to use his persuasive talents to promote a product he does not believe in. What can we learn from Lindsay? Lindsay teaches us one very important lesson:

Being ethical isn't cheap. It can cost a lot of money to refuse unethical business. But what you gain can be more valuable, perhaps invaluable. A clear conscience, and the ability to sleep easy each night, knowing that you didn't sacrifice your principles for a dollar.

How does this relate to the last post and my story about the hidden identity at the poker table? Lindsay would say that I need to decide how comfortable I am in my decision at the poker table, and I need to decide for myself what ethical standard I am going to set when using persuasive techniques.


Lindsay Camp "Can I Change Your Mind"