--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Principles are like laws—you can’t break…" description: "\"“Principles are like laws—you can’t break one simply because you and someone else agree to break it.”\" — Ray Dalio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/ray-dalio-299_integrity_principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break_2544388.jpg" --- # Principles are like laws—you can’t break one simply… ![“Principles are like laws—you can’t break one simply because you and someone else agree to break it.” quote by Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/ray-dalio-299_integrity_principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break_2544388.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/ray-dalio-299_integrity_principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break_2544388.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/ray-dalio-299_integrity_principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break_2544388.jpg) > ““Principles are like laws—you can’t break one simply because you and someone else agree to break it.”” [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Principles function as immutable laws; they cannot be ignored simply because people agree to do so, emphasizing the need for consistency and integrity. **In simple terms:** Principles are like laws that must be followed, even if others try to break them. Key Takeaway Uphold core values despite pressure. Themes integrity consistency leadership Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - business negotiations - personal decisions - policy making Key Concepts ethical frameworks social contracts Questions to Reflect On - When should principles be adapted? - How do we balance principle with compassion? A Different Perspective Rigid adherence may ignore context and flexibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agree Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree-break-1462756/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Laws Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-break-669687/) [Like Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-laws-1229806/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Principles Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles-like-1344688/) ## Related quotes > [Give me one reason to smile without you, then I'll agree to break up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhar/give-me-one-reason-to-smile-without-you-then-i-ll-agree-to-break-up/) [Bhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhar/) > [If I do, I say so. That's the only way out of that. If there are three words that need to be used more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/if-i-do-i-say-so-that-s-the-only-way-out-of-that-if-there-are-three/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I dont, like the laws. I dont like em' at all. You see the swagg and attitude is too fuckin' raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honey-cocaine/i-dont-like-the-laws-i-dont-like-em-at-all-you-see-the-swagg-and/) [Honey Cocaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honey-cocaine/) > [“Promises were like laws; smart men knew when to break both.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-hill/promises-were-like-laws-smart-men-knew-when-to-break-both/) [C.J. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-hill/) > [If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/if-you-like-laws-and-sausages-you-should-never-watch-either-one-being/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [I'm a lawmaker, but I really don't like laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-corker/i-m-a-lawmaker-but-i-really-don-t-like-laws/) [Bob Corker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-corker/) > [If you don't like something, if you don't like the laws that we have to live by, you gotta get out and vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-staley/if-you-don-t-like-something-if-you-don-t-like-the-laws-that-we-have/) [Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) > [Those who fear men like laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/those-who-fear-men-like-laws/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [We need to defend principles like democracy, freedom of speech, gender equality, and the rule of law through exemplifying these on a global scale,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deeyah-khan/we-need-to-defend-principles-like-democracy-freedom-of-speech-gender/) [Deeyah Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deeyah-khan/) > [Principles are like sheaths. 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By failing well, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-believe-that-the-key-to-success-lies-in-knowing-how-to-both-strive/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [I'm scared of one man, one vote because it suggests that everybody has an equal ability at making decisions, and I think that's dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-m-scared-of-one-man-one-vote-because-it-suggests-that-everybody-has/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“A manager’s ability to recognize when outcomes are inconsistent with goals and then modify designs and assemble people to rectify them makes all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/a-manager-s-ability-to-recognize-when-outcomes-are-inconsistent-with/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“So I learned to be radically open-minded to allow others to point out what I might be missing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/so-i-learned-to-be-radically-open-minded-to-allow-others-to-point-out/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“During those terrible days after 9/11, when the whole country was being whipsawed by emotion, or the weeks between September 19 and October 10,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/during-those-terrible-days-after-9-11-when-the-whole-country-was/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“is more effective to train that subconscious, emotional you the same way you would teach a child to behave”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/is-more-effective-to-train-that-subconscious-emotional-you-the-same/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [I think that the first thing is you should have a strategic asset allocation mix that assumes that you don't know what the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-think-that-the-first-thing-is-you-should-have-a-strategic-asset/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [Life is like a game where you seek to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving your goals. You get better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/life-is-like-a-game-where-you-seek-to-overcome-the-obstacles-that/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“when we look down on ourselves through the eyes of nature we are of absolutely no significance. It is a reality that each one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/when-we-look-down-on-ourselves-through-the-eyes-of-nature-we-are-of/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Great questions are a much better indicator of future success than great answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/great-questions-are-a-much-better-indicator-of-future-success-than/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Georgi Plekhanov’s classic On the Role of the Individual in History.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/georgi-plekhanov-s-classic-on-the-role-of-the-individual-in-history/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) [Explore all 716 Ray Dalio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## More Integrity quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [I can be taken away from myself quite easily, I kind of start betraying myself and compromising my integrity, to keep someone else happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-lou-wood/i-can-be-taken-away-from-myself-quite-easily-i-kind-of-start/) [Aimee Lou Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-lou-wood/) > [I take the responsibility of playing another ethnicity very, very seriously, and I promise myself and those people that I will represent them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-take-the-responsibility-of-playing-another-ethnicity-very-very/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [The Kennedys have always represented a certain royal quality, Camelot, and they represent a great deal of integrity and strength and perseverance; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-slater/the-kennedys-have-always-represented-a-certain-royal-quality-camelot/) [Christian Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-slater/) > [We want to promote the great quality of athletics - and maintain it's integrity - all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-juantorena/we-want-to-promote-the-great-quality-of-athletics-and-maintain-it-s/) [Alberto Juantorena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-juantorena/) > [A man should be upright, not kept upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/a-man-should-be-upright-not-kept-upright/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Too much principle is often more harmful than too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/too-much-principle-is-often-more-harmful-than-too-little/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [The interesting thing is that everyone in golf is just nice. You learn a lot about people playing golf: their integrity, how they play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-interesting-thing-is-that-everyone-in-golf-is-just-nice-you-learn/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Don't worry so much about your self-esteem. Worry more about your character. Integrity is its own reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/don-t-worry-so-much-about-your-self-esteem-worry-more-about-your/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“We should remark the grace and fascination that there is even in the incidentals of Nature's processes.. When a loaf of bread,. for instance,.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-should-remark-the-grace-and-fascination-that-there-is-even-in-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The reason I do small, independent movies is because I want to keep my soul intact and maintain some kind of integrity within this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-bell/the-reason-i-do-small-independent-movies-is-because-i-want-to-keep-my/) [Jamie Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-bell/) > [The 'key-log' which must be moved to release the evolutionary process for an ethic is simply this: quit thinking about decent land-use as solely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/land-ethic/the-key-log-which-must-be-moved-to-release-the-evolutionary-process/) [Land ethic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/land-ethic/) [Browse all 4,810 Integrity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Principles are like laws—you can’t break one simply because you and someone else agree to break it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray Dalio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break-one-simply-because-you-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Integrity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break-one-simply-because-you-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/ray-dalio-299_integrity_principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break_2544388.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/ray-dalio-299_integrity_principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break_2544388.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/ray-dalio-299_integrity_principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break_2544388.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Principles are like laws—you can’t break one simply because you and someone else agree to break it.” — Ray Dalio", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ray Dalio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Principles are like laws—you can’t break...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break-one-simply-because-you-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/principles-are-like-laws-you-can-t-break-one-simply-because-you-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```