What Happens When We Put Principles on Walls?

Matthew McConaughey once asked a simple question: Why can't we put the Ten Commandments back in public schools?

That seems reasonable. Many of the principles most people would agree with. That question led me somewhere unexpected. This episode isn't really about the Ten Commandments. It's about a broader pattern:

Why do schools, companies, governments, and organizations put principles on walls?

Mission statements. Core values. Slogans. Codes of conduct.

The assumption seems to be that displaying principles changes behavior.

Does it?

Or are we confusing a principle with a mechanism?

In this episode, I explore the difference between values and systems, why principles are often open to interpretation, and whether displaying them actually produces the outcomes people hope for.

Before deciding what belongs on the wall, it may be worth asking:

What problem are we trying to solve?

And how would we know if the solution actually worked?