Honor

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I would like to agree with quite a bit with Arabwel, if you really want to label anything as honor it is being true to one self and do what you believe is right. This is also where the danger comes in, if you believe in honor and are very sure that what you believe is right you are willing to do the most atrocious things for example the 9/11 attacks. The reason I do not think honor exist is just that it is a matter of perception, it is not a definate thing and all too often it is just an excuse to justify all kinds of horrible deeds.

 

Performing horrible acts knowingly and willingly is not honourable. What's more I see the most quoted example of Roland as dishonourable. He of his own fault failed his men. Simply as it is. Risked the safety of others and the fate of the war for his own vanity. I suppose several ideas about honour have been made up by at most average intelligent people bored to the extreme who what's more didn't have many opportunities to verify their views.

 

Honor is a code of behavior or conduct. To be honorable is to conduct yourself in a particular, and to interact with others in the same manner. For me, honor has always been the traditional "knightly" view:

Showing mercy - even when victory is certain. Maybe "especially" when victory is certain.

Never backing down when you believe your cause is just.

Being true to your word. If you say you will do a thing - Make damn sure it happens!

Always leave someone an "out", a way to save face.

Don't allow bullies to, er, bully weaker people (or nations in some circumstances)

Unfortunately, being honorable in this day and age usually means being a pain in the ass too. Honorable people are often now seen as inflexible or intractable in dealings or negotiations. Being honorable is probably one of the most difficult ways to live. It's a high hurdle, and in the end, at least in our time, not very rewarding.

** Thus ends my rant of honor, from one who is viewed as an honorable guy...At least that's what my friends say - Hell, maybe my enemies say that too! **

 

Honor...is a concept that can be embraced only by the strong.

Leave us weak mortals out of it. We're too busy surviving to bother.

 

I believe in Honor, something very much along the lines that Sir Bel (and others) have already described. And it certainly seems to me that the people who embrace honor the most are exactly those people who need it to survive. It's a way of propping up your weakness when you want to give in, but you manage to carry on because It's The Right Thing To Do.

People who have surpassed the state of mere survival and abuse their power - like some politicians, clergy, or corporate execs - are generally thought to be very strong but have no honor.

 

After what Rallymama said I think it's necessary to include some inner strength. Well, respect for others, but for yourself as well - only from a bit different perspective. One could regard this as tied to the offending-challenging mentality, but there are some differences. I hope you'll excuse me going off topic and personal, but here's a life example to illustrate those:

New Year's Eve party. The last one. A friend's girlfriend decided to leave a bit sooner. There was another guy, that friend's friend, who thought he had some 'right' to her and was making an issue of that all the time although mostly quarelling silently with that friend, so nobody considered it right to itervene. Another thought was that some year ago at a party he tried to provoke me. If he were able to offend me, the offence would be of the heavy sort (telling a jubilee celebrator to 'f* off' - in our language it includes 'go out from here' as well - places one beyond the capability to offend - especially that the latter is virtually bound not to react accordingly). I told him I was longing to see that when he moved on to
threats (I'm known to never have accepted a challenge so far).

Anyway, at the party I'm speaking of, when I went to say goodbye to the said friend's girlfriend, he blocked my way just before the moment I was passing by - too late for me to stop and tell him to step aside I found myself stopped and his arm in the way. The arm landed on the wall and I asked him politely not to touch me again. That is my way of being honourable.

When he however started murmuring something about challenges (I suppose he was really pissed, no serious person of his age, 20, speaks such rubbish) I told him it was impossible for him to challenge me and I am not going to challenge him myself which I would normally do in some other case. So no honourable way is available for him and if he so much wishes to fight me he must attack me straight as it is (I stood there a while so that he could). He didn't. Never heard from him since that.

 

Honor is boycotting a beer manufacturer because they support gun control.

Budweiser sucks.

 

No thats hating Budweiser and trying to make a good excuse for it

 

Actually, no.

That's a good reason to start hating Budweiser. I had no problems with them before I learned that from an alcoholic friend of mine.

God rest Jim's soul; he's more than likely dead by now.

It was the honorable thing to do. Carry on the tradition...