If you’re a young man or woman who’s living a life of lawlessness, illegal drug use, or generalized delinquency, I highly suggest you stop right in your tracks. Like right now. Breaking the law might be fun and thrilling, but you’re digging yourself a hole. Having interacted with people who’ve dug this hole for themselves in the past, I don’t even want to discuss the negative consequences of breaking the law. We all know that jail sucks, and that having a criminal record is bad. But what about the other side of things? What happens when you follow the law properly? I think you can create a beautiful world for yourself by following the law, speaking from the perspective of someone who misspent their youth.
Following the law makes you fearless
When I was younger, I made the unfortunate mistake of selling pot. Thankfully, I was smart enough to read the laws. I didn’t really do stuff that had the potential to put me in prison. I wasn’t much for rules when I was younger, and I wanted to be cool. But I wasn’t about that life. I generally didn’t take what I saw to be enormous risks, because I was looking for stories and bragging rights, not street cred. The difference is subtle, but it’s made a massive difference in my self-image as I’ve aged. I feel like I have a lot of wild stories, not like someone who’s covering up feelings of guilt or is on the run.
Following the law makes you strong
People who need to break the law to make money are inherently weaker than those who are able to earn their fair share legally. Things change amongst the super-rich, but generally speaking, those who are able to make their money fair and square are the most likely to succeed long term. It’s better to be worth $1 billion for 30 years than it is to be worth $5 billion for a single year. Learning to follow the law makes you capable and competent. If you can force yourself to play within the bounds of the rules, you’ll likely become hyper competent. This applies across the board, in every area of life.
If you follow the law, you should be able to explain your actions
Unless you just like getting over on people, or are a drug addict, you should be able to explain yourself pretty easily. If you’re a drug addict it’s often just a matter of memory either way. Following the law makes life a lot easier, because you can live out in the open. I’ve had the good fortune of having seen enough of the world to have broken some laws. I sold pot in another life. But I’ve also gotten out of all of that and can live my life with a relatively clear conscience. It would have to take a pretty douchey cop to charge me for any of the things I’ve actually done, to put it simply. This means that I can also explain myself and my actions. I’m not afraid of the light. A lot of people who are criminals can’t say the same for themselves.
Ever since I decided to clean up my life in 2019, things have gone extremely smoothly. I don’t have many problems, and a lot of them can be solved. If I mess up, I can explain myself and take accountability. There are moments in which I feel uncertain, but I know I’m overall OK, because I can tell the truth. A lot of people can’t say the same for themselves. A lot of people can’t keep themselves from being belligerent. Or they might make money in unsavory ways. These people might do well in the short run, but it’s easy to crush them in the long run, because they’re not intelligent. Smart people quickly realize that the best thing to do in life is to be as moral as possible. Morality is lucrative, it aligns with the religious textbooks, it’s safe, and it fosters goodwill. It’s the right thing to do, even if you’re thinking selfishly.
