Essay 1: Honor

[kalikajira]

Okay, this is an essay I wrote on honor. It is a first draft, I am taking any comments, criticisms, flames, whatever, and I will be editing and revising heavily. I will be posting this on both forums so that people who only visit one or the other will be able to comment on it. I only ask that if you don't like it, please provide a clear and thought out reason why, and not just: "J00 SUXXOR! OMG!!! WURST ESSAY EVAR!!!". Though I do doubt any of the Knights would do that, posts of this kind will be used soley for my amusement. Fair warning.

Honor

Honor can mean many things. To honor someone is to show respect to them, whether such respect is deserved or not. It can also be a title of respect for an authority figure, such as a judge in the United States. However, when we speak of acting with honor as a member of the Order of Jubal, we are not talking of an outward show or a title, we are talking of following a set of guidelines we have set internally. Honor means many things to many people, but each person has their own personal sense of honor. Originally, a person

[The_Stalker]

That was a refreshing read. It is good to hear some people are dedicated to our ideals. I think it was a good essay on the origins of honor, but lacking in definition.

I think Honor is more than just what you've spoken of.

To me at least, doing what is right and keeping my word is not the end all be all of Honor. What of Compassion? To simply do what is right blindly is worthless, it will cause you to loose face and you could soil the names of your compatriots. There are times, my friend, when Honor commands that we break the rules, throw out our hubris, hang our pride and do what must be done.

Compassion for all is where thinking that Honor is just the above breaks down. How should we act in cases where two or more "rights" conflict? To act goes against what is right, to not act, the same.

Honor is won or lost primarily not in the simple every day acts of business and life, but in the extraordinary circumstances. Honor is found where lesser men fear to venture for risk of losing theirs.

Honor is doing what is right, keeping your word, having compassion for all even those not in the right, and a willingness to make peace. It is all this and more, in my humble opinion.

[J'Bar, CI]

Honor and and Integrity is being is true to your ideas and principles when no one is around to see.

You are who you are when you are alone

Jeff Barnes, CI, LoANOV

[Silver Adept]

I think for most of us, that's a bit scary. I know for me it is, but that might be because even though I may be a good person and virtuous, that I'm not perfect, or that I'm fooling myself.

It's something I have to work on.