[October 29, 2025] Drink bad coffee; no sugar, no cream, regular brewed coffee and avoid drinking fancy, shop-made, yuppie-sipping, fancy-flavored coffee. Avoid complexity and unneeded activities and expenses. Live a simpler life. Have less stress by not trying to be like other people. It’s best to not try “keeping up with the Jones’ next door.”
Learn to be satisfied with the simpler things in life and don’t get addicted to expensive, popular objects or behavior that add little to your life. Don’t be distracted by chasing unreasonable goals. Pursue strength over appearances in your daily activities. Take your proper place in the world. This is the alternative to being weak, and weak is to pursue fads, fashion, fun, and gratuitous, impulsive, short-term satisfaction, and that is not good. The ability to control yourself, to control your emotionally corrupt desires and needs, is the virtuous path in life.
As you plot your economic and social future, you will be consumed by envy, bitterness, and resentment, if you are taken in by the appearance of what others do. Think about what you should do, thoughtfully. The consequence of what enters your mind is directly proportional to the degree you’ve allowed others to shape your goals. Be willing to be more than you are by aiming up.
Learn to be humble and grateful that you can make such a choice, choices that show you are able to make decisions that help your emotional stability through self-regulation. This is accomplished in the service to others, not by what you consume, or decorate yourself with, or what fad you follow today. This is about learning discipline/focus/self-sacrifice and being centered mentally on what is the long-term purpose of your life.
Live frugally, not so much to prevent living beyond your means or going into debt unnecessarily, but to create control over yourself and focus on what is most important in your life.
Have lifelong goals and personal priorities that are clear, based on morally-just values, and do so methodically and consciously, so you understand them and so that you pursue them vigorously and with a clear conscience. People have immutable rights, based on the ancient Biblical teachings that are fully applicable to us today, and they will always apply.
No matter how much suffering comes your way, no matter how much undeserved and unjust suffering comes your way, stick with the disciplined, moral path. Do good no matter what happens to you. Be in control of your life. Reject victimhood. Have faith in your pursuit of what is good and moral.
Drink bad coffee.
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Love Rule #57 …… and I drink my coffee black.
Looks like waiting to read a weeks worth of Gen. Satterfield’s articles paid off for me. Yes, I got a lot done at school, where I teach, but now I can gather interesting information for my classroom. Each morning, I’m in the classroom with a hot cup of coffee – hot java as I say – and give my best to teach history and social sciences. I will soon retire and while I do look forward to spending more time with my wife and dog (all our kids are grown now and married), I will miss the best students. This lesson from Gen. Satterfield is really about keeping your life simple and that is definitely what I will do. Oh, I do drink my coffee black, no sugar or creamer. Simple.
Thank you Mr. TJ for not using the most current marxist (small “m”) ideology on the kids. They need more honest discussion and I don’t see that happening with all the WOKE teachers.
I can’t wait for Rule #58. What will it be?
Sir, I sure appreciate your RULES. I suspect many of us veterans would feel the same way. We lived in a rules-centric environment and have adjusted/adapted to such rules. Well done.
Leave it to Gen.S. to create a new idea about “bad coffee.” Personally, I never had a bad cup of coffee. But I am careful how I make it. And, that is the point Gen.S. is making here. Keep life simple. Don’t overly complicate your life by adding unnecessary things to it and then get into the habit of “needing” what you added.
Gen. Satterfield, a suggestion … perhaps you should change the title of the article to “Only Drink Black Coffee.” Not “bad coffee” but just plain old, unsugered, uncreamed straight black coffee. Now that fits much better, I think. You can change it if you want. No attribution needed. Thanks.
Judy, your “Only Drink Black Coffee” recommendation is spot on. Keep those recommendations at the forefront. That is what Gen. Satterfield has been asking for. He was positive criticism of his comments so that he can make immediate improvements. It’s too late for the blog post … it’s already in the system as “drink bad coffee.” But if he writes a book, then, POW. Got it.
Yep, good one, Judy Judy Judy (why the triple name?).
Good suggestion. 🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️
Gen. Satterfield sure loves his coffee. Is it because he was in the US Army? Maybe yes. I like to start my day with a cup of black, strong, slow-brewed Maxwell House coffee, nothing fancy.
Gen. Satterfield, you are always throwing in something unexpected in the mix of articles. I enjoyed this one, altho I will admit it was a tiny hard to read. So, next i’m going to re-read your older book “55 rules for a good life” and that way, I’ll be on track. LOL
Paulette, actually, this is classic Gen. S. It is a continuation of his most recent book as you noted “55 rules.” I’m looking to read an updated version of that book. I bought a dozen of them and give them away to young adults that I think are doing well and going places. They will get an extra boost from me and others. There are young adults that are into drugs, illicit sex, laziness, getting government handouts, etc. and I have nothing to do with them. The latter chosen a poor path in life and I avoid them. The good folks, I help. That is the way of the world. Live the simpler life and drink bad coffee.
Bad coffee can be good coffee under the right circumstances.
Ha, good one, Gen. Satterfield. Drink Bad Coffee. Drink good, tasty coffee and you will be spoiled and not want to go back to “bad” coffee. I recommend people read “The Best Cup of Coffee Ever” which is not about good coffee but enjoying “good” coffee because that’s all he had.
“On day 21, I was sitting next to an old Armored Personnel Carrier, thinking what tomorrow would bring, when another lieutenant – his name was Jack – brought me a cup of hot coffee. It was the best cup of coffee I ever had and have ever had since. I thought so at the time. Where did he get such a great cup of coffee? My friend had mixed water, instant coffee, non-dairy creamer, and raw sugar from our C-rations and heated it over burning C-4 explosive. I’m sure today if I had that cup of coffee, I would throw it down the sink. But at the time, it was the best coffee anyone could have given me.”
https://www.theleadermaker.com/my-best-cup-of-coffee-ever/
Gen. Satterfield makes some fine points in this article, a companion to his book “55 Rules for a Good Life.” In that book, he lays out a way to make yourself a better person. How? The short answer is in the subhead of the book title –
“Pursuing Truth and Responsibility.” This is overlooked, so I’m highlighting it now for everyone and this, the latest addition, falls within that scope.,
Good point, Winston, and thanks for pointing it out. I think you’re the first to do so.
Here I am wishing that this is a new generation of “rules” by Gen. Satterfield and that we can eventually get an updated “rules for a good life.” Now would that be wonderful? I’m a huge fan of Gen. Satterfield and his leadership blog. Nothing like it anywhere on the Internet. I can see that Gen. S has grown in his publishing, integrating other media like YouTube and X. Plus, he takes current events and weaves it into the ancient understanding of professional development.
Another excellent article, sir. And, thank you. I enjoyed your book “55 Rules for a Good Life” and perhaps you will someday up the number of ‘rules’ to 60 or more.
Mainer, I think this is where he is going, and without saying so. I’ve been reading this blog for years and often Gen. Satterfield starts to slip articles like this in and then, pow, we have a new book or update. Maybe that is the way he is going.
I HOPE SO
CLASSIC:
No matter how much suffering comes your way, no matter how much undeserved and unjust suffering comes your way, stick with the disciplined, moral path. Do good no matter what happens to you. Be in control of your life. Reject victimhood. Have faith in your pursuit of what is good and moral.
Drink bad coffee.
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This is the way of a good life.
Great news!!!! 😁. Gen. Satterfield is back to writing about “rules for a good life.” 👍 Let’s hope that he keeps ‘em coming our way. 🎯. This one about drinking coffee, a drink that he often writes about. ☕️