Most people negotiate everything. Boundaries flex. Principles bend. Standards shift.
This isn’t open-mindedness. It’s drift.
Red lines aren’t about being rigid. They’re about knowing what you won’t trade. What you won’t compromise. What stays non-negotiable even when it costs you.
No lying to people you care about, even when convenient. No work that conflicts with your principles, even when profitable. No tolerating disrespect, even from important people.
The people who seem most free often have the clearest boundaries. They know what they won’t do, which makes everything else simpler.
Flexibility without boundaries isn’t freedom. It’s drift.