Principles don't exist in a vacuum. When viewing someone else, you only consider them 'principled' because of the context they exist in.

In a world where everyone donates 50% of their pay check to charity, the person who donates 25% is considered selfish.

I asked OP the question about their comment, and not about whether principles should do this or that.

That being said I do not believe in absolutes. One example why such an absolutist approach fails is the tolerance of intolerant, which in itself makes the whole society intolerant, and fails to uphold the absolute principle of tolerance.