The first principle is this: Truth is more valuable than comfort. Not because truth is always pleasant—it often isn't—but because reality does not adjust itself to our preferences.
A belief that feels good but is false will eventually betray you. The universe does not grade on intention. Consequences flow from reality, not from our interpretations of it.
This does not mean that compassion should be abandoned for brutal honesty. There is wisdom in timing, in gentleness, in meeting people where they are.
But in your own mind, in your own deliberations, in the quiet moments when you decide what to believe—let truth be your anchor, even when it costs you the comfort of certainty.
Seek out information that might prove you wrong. Befriend your own errors, for they are teachers. The ego that cannot tolerate being wrong is an ego that cannot grow.
And remember: the search for truth is itself an act of humility, for it acknowledges that you do not yet possess it fully.