My personal philosophy for 2026.
We are all imperfect. Getting upset when people aren't perfect is foolish. Likewise, don't expect others to fully move past some foolish thing you did. As for apologies, accept them, but don't forget what happened. Equally important: cut out needlessly foolish behaviour entirely. Nobody is the centre of the universe. The best we can do is get a grip: on our own habits, on owning up to things we did, and on our emotional responses to things done to us. We should use mistakes as opportunities to get better.
This is a two-way street. The modern trend of "infodumping" is fun when welcomed, but conversations don't work like Twitter threads. Don't be afraid to hold back your ideas, but keep check over how feasible or realistic they are all the same; employ tact. Additionally, respond to things, don't react to them. Try to be a good listener, too. Be nice to people.
Tradition can be rejected if causes pain. I think more people should "just be themselves." Embrace cringe and don't let the fear factor imposed by others get to you. Express yourself. Acknowledge repressiveness in that it exists, but don't play to it. Caveat: don't force others to enjoy what you enjoy, and make sure you don't fall into self-destructive behaviour. Another caveat: a house is a safe area for those who live there, so follow the house rules or leave.
If you believe or say something, live it. I believe in limiting excess and overconsumption, so I have chosen to limit my use of Amazon and DoorDash. Rejecting futility complexes and nihilism is useful, especially if you find you're using them to justify overconsumption.
Put more time into learning and bettering yourself. We all have things to learn. Spending 10 hours per day in a videogame is wasteful behaviour. If you find you waste multiple hours per day with pastimes, consider stopping them. You won't be able to redo your life when you're old, so do it correctly right now. Aim to be excellent.
Clean your face. Wash your body. Don't eat junk. Clean your room. Tidy up. Exercise as you can. You will feel very good.