Claus D. Volko's Rules of Life

1. Always have a positive outlook upon life. The world may not be perfect, human beings may not be perfect, yet the world is much better now than it was just a few decades ago, and it is to be expected that it will still improve with time.

2. Do not view yourself as a "victim of social circumstances" but as an actor, an active player in the "game of life" who has the potential to shape the world and make it a better place one day.

3. Embrace progress and new technologies. Do not reject innovation. There may be problems caused by technological advancements, but they also bear a huge potential for improving people's lives. Think primarily of the potentials, not the risks.

4. Never ever actively harm other people, especially not when you do not have a personal profit of your action as a side-effect. Deliberately harming other people is anti-social and must be avoided at any costs. The only exception is if somebody treats you in an unfair manner and you want to take revenge in order to teach this person respect.

5. Always remain open, honest and sincere in personal relationships. Lying is only allowed in situations when telling the truth would cause serious damage. As the German speaking people say, "Ehrlichkeit währt am längsten".

6. Be curious about new ideas, critically analyze them and adopt them if you come to the conclusion that they make sense and seem to be valuable.

7. Try to learn as much as possible. Use every opportunity you have for learning, acquisition of knowledge and skills, and self-improvement. The more you learn, the stronger and more powerful you will become. It will help you in your positive endeavours.

8. Avoid insulting other people. Some people are easily hurt and it may suffice to express an opinion they do not share. For this reason carefully select the people with whom you want to relate and discuss about subjects you are interested in. It may take a long time to find out who the right people are. If people feel hurt, they might sooner or later take revenge on you.

9. Never give people who have a hierarchical status superior to you the impression that you are illoyal to them. Disloyalty is something no boss and no employer desires. You may be critical of your superiors, but do not deceive or work against them.

10. Do not tell other people how they should lead their lives or what they should do, unless they explicitely ask for advice. Telling other people what to do, except at work, is not decent behaviour. Nobody has the right to dominate or direct others.

11. At any costs, avoid violence.

Claus D. Volko, January 31st, 2018


Contact: cdvolko (at) gmail (dot) com