R.I.P. John Perry Barlow - October 3, 1947 to February 7, 2018

John Perry Barlow, patron saint of internet freedom passed away yesterday. He lived at the intersection of the arts and digital technology with a mind as big as the Wyoming skies he was born under. If you aren't familiar with him Wired has a great memorial, or you can check out his voluminous Wikipedia page. He wrote songs for the Grateful Dead and co-founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation. With his 30th birthday looming, and a distrust of anyone over 30, he wrote 25 Adult Principles to live by. In these fraught times they are worth a read.

Adult Principle #1: Be patient. No matter what.

Adult Principle #2: Don’t badmouth: Assign responsibility, not blame. Say nothing of another you wouldn’t say to him.

Adult Principle #3: Never assume the motives of others are, to them, less noble than yours are to you.

Adult Principle #4: Expand your sense of the possible.

Adult Principle #5: Don’t trouble yourself with matters you truly cannot change.

Adult Principle #6: Don’t ask more of others than you can deliver yourself.

Adult Principle #7: Tolerate ambiguity.

Adult Principle #8: Laugh at yourself frequently.

Adult Principle #9: Concern yourself with what is right rather than who is right.

Adult Principle #10: Try not to forget that, no matter how certain, you might be wrong.

Adult principle #11: Give up blood sports.

Adult principle #12: Remember that your life belongs to others as well. Do not endanger it frivolously. And never endanger the life of another.

Adult principle #13: Never lie to anyone for any reason.

Adult principle #14: Learn the needs of those around you and respect them.

Adult principle #15: Avoid the pursuit of happiness. Seek to define your mission and pursue that.

Adult principle #16: Reduce your use of the first personal pronoun.

Adult principle #17: Praise at least as often as you disparage.

Adult principle #18: Never let your errors pass without admission.

Adult principle #19: Become less suspicious of joy.

Adult principle #20: Understand humility.

Adult principle #21: Forgive.

Adult principle #22: Foster dignity.

Adult principle #23: Live memorably.

Adult principle #24: Love yourself.

Adult principle #25: Endure.