An analysis of the four agreements is the key to philosophy of action. We can use a spiritual pathways assessment to analyze how your thinking impacts society. Answering twenty questions will give you the data to change the trajectory of your life. It’s how to make a better world.
We recommend you take the quiz first and record your answers before reading. Then, we will show how this assessment fits into Mr. Ruiz’s philosophical approach. Afterward, score your assessment, and you will have a picture of your moral compass.
This exercise highlights areas of concern you can use in your personal development. It will show you where to make changes to become healthier spiritually and mentally. You don’t need to join a religion to have guiding principles. It’s easy. You’ll see.
The Key to The Philosophy of Action
Okay, now we are ready to ask a few questions. Record your answers. You can use the data to change the trajectory of your life. We’ll show how this data relates to the statements of the four agreements. Then, it is up to you to implement the necessary changes.
We use the Likert scale to score this assessment. It uses a psychometric response scale, which specifies a level of agreement. This scale has five levels:
1 Strongly disagree
2 Disagree
3 Neither agree nor disagree
4 Agree
5 Strongly agree
Push yourself away from the middle answer of 3. See if you can make a more definitive choice at 2 or 4.
Record your answers to the spiritual pathways assessment before reading the answer key. Also, don’t take too long to ponder the right answer. Your first impression is the most honest. Don’t cheat. This is the key to the philosophy of action.
1) Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are good for the world.
2) Christianity, Islam, and Judaism doctrines provide a morally consistent message.
3) Belief in a higher power is better than unbelief, even if you don’t follow a religion.
4) Atheists and Agnostics haven’t considered all the evidence for the existence of God.
5) I consider myself law-abiding and never break any laws.
6) The laws and doctrine of religion are more important than following man’s law.
7) If someone harms me, I forgive and never seek retribution.
8) People should be punished as prescribed in the Bible: an eye for an eye.
9) Showing kindness and compassion to those who don’t deserve it is a weakness.
10) I have never told a falsehood or lie which caused substantial harm to another.
11) Religious followers are less likely to do the right thing than those who do not believe.
12) People of color and immigrants get more governmental benefits than they should.
13) Individualism is dangerous. We need religious institutions to provide moral guidance.
14) Homelessness is a choice people make when they don’t manage their finances.
15) Pagan beliefs like Wicca and Witchcraft are harmless.
16) All religions are based on some level of divine truth. Faith and honesty go together.
17) Admitting your mistakes is a mistake because people will use them against you.
18) Religious beliefs provide absolution and forgiveness for any transgression.
19) I have the right to defend my religious beliefs with force if necessary.
20) All rights start with personal autonomy and the ability to make family planning decisions.
The Spiritual Pathways Assessment
You will notice these agreements are not philosophical positions. They are statements that need introspection and action. (1)
It is a practical approach that focuses on positive actions and personal accountability. It tells you what to do. This approach has a lot in common with Buddhism, but it differs significantly from the practice of Western organized religion.
The Abrahamic religions have ten commandments that focus on what we should not do. However, this belief system also has exceptions that contradict its “thou shalt not” rules.
For example, the tenth commandment says you should not covet your neighbor’s wife, animals, or slaves. So, that’s a way of saying it’s okay to enslave people; just don’t be jealous of your neighbors. The spiritual pathways assessment will uncover conflicts like this within an ideology.
Analysis of the Four Agreements
The idea behind these four assertions of action is to show how you can shape a more positive thought life. This is important because thoughts become behaviors. Positive behaviors are the key to the philosophy of action.
1. Impeccability
“The first agreement is to be impeccable with your word. Say only what you mean. Avoid using words against yourself or to gossip. Use the power of your words to direct your life toward truth and love.”
To be impeccable with your word means striving to be honest with yourself and others. Gossip and hearsay create negativity in relationships. So, you’ll need to stop feeding your mind with fiction, which is the basis for much TV news, religious programming, and reality shows.
Your mind is a computer. If you put inaccurate and harmful code into a computer, then you cannot expect to give the correct answers. So, you must learn how to find the bad code in your thinking and monitor what you put into your mind and how you think.
Observing your thinking takes some practice because we normally focus our attention outward and not inward. When we learn to observe our thinking, we understand our values and why we are drawn to certain things and people.
Self-awareness helps us to choose wisely. We learn to build relationships on healthy spiritual energy rather than temporary conditions. It is the only way to build long-lasting, healthy relationships. Our culture prefers we build connections on things it can sell, but these always end. Self-observation is the basis of self-awareness, which is the key to the philosophy of action.
2. Don’t take Umbrage or Personal Offense
“The second agreement is don’t take things personally. Nothing other people do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. Learn to be immune to the opinions and actions of others. It will keep you from being the victim of needless suffering.”
Don’t take things personally. Don’t fixate on the motives of others. Our analysis of the four agreements showed that this is a common issue. We surveyed members and found that 80% of people find this hard to do. It is their personal daily spiritual path test. Taking things personally makes you a victim of circumstance. Besides, you can never know what someone else is thinking. Don’t assume that what happens has ill intent.
Trying to anticipate or guess will take you away from the present. When you do this, you are not listening anymore. Your mind takes you down a rabbit trail, and you lose your grounding. It takes your mind out of the present. Keep your focus on being present and mindful. Follow the first agreement and strive to be honest. When you don’t do this, you take on the victim mindset.
Remind yourself that you limit yourself when you adopt a victim mentality. If someone has a different opinion, don’t take it as a personal affront. Instead, ask them if you want to know. Ask with genuine intent to determine why they believe what they do. It’s essential to resist the urge to present a different argument unless they ask for yours. Again, our analysis of the four agreements showed that this was the hardest thing to do.
The reason that this one is so hard is that our culture promotes the role of the victim. Don’t be the victim. Learn that we all suffer unjust wrongs. Learn to be a survivor. Not taking things as a personal attack is a mental tactic worth mastering. Taking any criticism without reacting requires practice. It leads to the philosophy of action, where we learn to monitor our words and actions. You can increase your ability to control your emotions through role-playing. Inner work is also beneficial in revealing our thinking and tendencies.
3. Don’t Assume
“The third agreement is don’t make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can, and this will help you avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can transform your life.”
Don’t assume. Instead, be mindful and present. Accept people where they are. Ask questions, but resist the urge to judge. Avoid projecting your values and beliefs. Give others your full attention and listen.
Don’t formulate a rebuttal while you listen. Listen before you develop your reply. When you pause and listen, it will often change your response. We encourage you to do your own analysis of the four agreements. If you do, you’ll see how they fit together.
4. Integrity in Word and Deed
“The final agreement is always to do your best. Your best is a continual decision. Things can change from moment to moment. It will be different when you are healthy, as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.”
When you do your best, it means you follow through with promises and commitments. Be wise and don’t over-promise. Remember to be impeccable with your word. Remind yourself that perfection is an elusive goal. It may be only temporary. So, doing your best has more to do with intent and effort, not results. Give your best effort. Be diligent with your time. Avoid what-ifs and self-judgment.
Answer Key to the Spiritual Pathways Assessment
Now that you have read about what these assertions mean, let’s examine how the 20 questions align with them and how to score.
The quiz’s 20 questions are linked to one of the four assertions. The lowest possible score for any group is 5; the highest is 25.
Questions about Assumptions
The questions for the assertion, Don’t Assume, include:
2) Christianity, Islam, and Judaism provide a morally consistent message.
4) Atheists and Agnostics haven’t considered all the evidence for the existence of God.
12) People of color and immigrants get more governmental benefits than they should.
14) Homelessness is a choice people make when they don’t manage their finances.
18) Religious beliefs provide absolution and forgiveness for any transgression.
A score between 5 and 9 indicates you do not make false assumptions. A score from 9 to 14 means you are not as likely to make false assumptions. A score between 16 and 20 means you likely make a lot of false assumptions. A score between 21 and 25 indicates a propensity to draw false and inaccurate conclusions.
Questions about Taking Things Personal
The next group is about the assertion, Don’t take Umbrage or Personal Offense. This group includes:
7) If someone harms me, I forgive and never seek retribution.
8) People should be punished as prescribed in the Bible: an eye for an eye.
11) Religious followers are less likely to do the right thing than those who do not believe.
15) Pagan beliefs like Wicca and Witchcraft are harmless.
20) All rights start with personal autonomy and the ability to make family planning decisions.
Here, the scoring is reversed. A score between 21 and 25 indicates a high respect for the rights of the individual. A score between 16 and 20 shows you respect the rights of personal autonomy. Scoring between 9 and 14 indicates a lack of respect for the rights of others. A score between 5 and 9 shows a complete lack of regard for those in other socioeconomic and racial groups or gender preferences.
Questions About High Moral Standards
The next grouping is the questions for Impeccability. Here are the statements for this assertion.
1) Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are good for the world.
3) Belief in a higher power is better than unbelief, even if you don’t follow a religion.
6) The laws and doctrine of religion are more important than following man’s law.
13) Individualism is dangerous. We need religious institutions to provide moral guidance.
19) I have the right to defend my religious beliefs with force if necessary.
A score between 5 and 9 indicates you are a freethinker and someone knows how to sort the facts from the fiction. A score from 9 to 14 means you have an open mind and see through most of the propaganda in the culture. A score between 16 and 20 means you are susceptible to and believe a lot of propaganda. A score between 21 and 25 is evidence of a psyche immersed in propaganda. The last group is most likely to engage in harmful behaviors.
Questions on Doing What You Say
The last group of assertions is on Integrity in Word and Deed.
5) I consider myself law-abiding and never break any laws.
9) Showing kindness and compassion to those who don’t deserve it is a weakness.
10) I have never told a falsehood or lie which caused substantial harm to another.
16) All religions are based on some level of divine truth. Faith and honesty go together.
17) Admitting your mistakes is a mistake because people will use them against you.
A score between 5 and 9 indicates you are honest and know you have broken some law at some time. A score from 9 to 14 indicates you are, like most people, less than honest. A score between 16 and 20 means you are somewhat delusional and can explain away inconsistencies in behavior. A score between 21 and 25 indicates someone on the slippery slope of narcissistic behavior.
This spiritual pathways assessment uses practical research, leading to straightforward premises. Use the answers to guide you in dealing with the personal issues holding you back.
In Conclusion
We hope this analysis of the four agreements will help your personal development. These agreements can change your attitude about life. They give you perspective in this ever-changing world. These agreements can make you a better person without the baggage of adopting any dogma or doctrine—four simple things to remember. It is a path to the philosophy of action, which produces good fruit.
If you want a more comprehensive list of guiding principles, The Dalai Lama gives us one example of 18 rules for living.
References
(1) Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements. A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) Paperback, miguelruiz.com