Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth

Freemasonry has three main principles, and they are easier to live by than their old-fashioned names suggest.

Brotherly love means treating other people with patience and respect, whatever their background or opinions. It might be as simple as listening properly to a neighbour you don't usually get on with.

Relief means helping those in need. That can be a donation to a local food bank, but it is just as often a lift to a hospital appointment or an hour spent with someone who is lonely.

Truth means being honest, with others and with yourself. It includes owning up when you have made a mistake, and saying what you really think in a kind way.

You don't need to belong to anything to live by these principles. The articles in Everyday Life take them one at a time and show how they work in real weeks.