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@mooks
I think there's a lot of naivety in what Knoydart's said, particularly in terms of how he/she is defining his/her life choices. Buying from charity shops or being more considerate of others, while reasonably noble, isn't exactly the biggest step change I've ever come across, but then anybody who's willing to reconsider their behaviours and even their existence gets a bit of a thumbs up from me. While you've taken some small steps, I think your thinking still has a long way to go - and a lot of the things you've said have been quite arrogant, given the makeup of some of this community - who certainly aren't as ignorant as you're suggesting.
I interpret 'principle' as referring to a personal or social code of conduct - essentially, defined behaviours or actions that we've either learnt or have had 'imposed' on us as we make our way through life. Many of us don't question these things and accept them as social norms, and I think that this is at the root of what you're saying. Could be wrong though...
The question I'm asking myself right now is why do we live our lives in this way? Where does it say that I have to spend 35hrs a week (actually doing 35hrs for a change would be fantastic...) in a job that I hate, when there's a whole world out there waiting to be discovered. Isn't that a terrible waste of human potential? The interesting thing for me is seeing how people respond when I question the way we live: some seem resigned to living their life in a particular way ("it's just the way it is isn't it?"), while others react with aggression and anger, as if you questioning society is a threat to them and their way of life.
Fair enough, some people will look at their lives and say 'Yes - this is me. This is the way I want to live my life', and that's absolutely fine, but I'd wager that the majority (and by extension, I suspect many of the people who have been so critical of Knoydart's stance) have failed to question their beliefs or their life choices - many living in the express belief that this is the way your life has to be (as dictated by social norms) and there can be no divergence from this existence.
But then, this is a personal journey, and you'll meet very few people who look at life in the same way that you do, but by no means sacrifice your happiness for that reason. I tried 'evangelising' when I was in university, and the truth is that there's no changing some people. Don't let it frustrate you - just make the most of the people who come your way who are like you.