Honor

Chivalry got me thinking . How is honor best described? Is it the same as integrity, or a function of integrity?

We say of those who keep their word that they are honorable to do so.....but what if the word they keep is to do harm? Is there honor still in a promise unbroken, no matter the promise?
Who decides?

I believe it is almost like the Supreme Court Justice who, speaking of pornography, said that he could not define it, but knew it when he saw it. While I would not equate pornography with honor, I do believe the the Justice had a point...

We recognize the honorable when we see them... So, when we see them, what IS it we see that leads us to conclude that honor is in them?

Just as with our musings on chivalry, these matters have been much on my mind lately.....I have seen much honor done recently. I have seen other gentles convinced that honor demands they engage in the willful harming of others. I don't get it.

Those gentles I perceive as honorable are those who keep their word, who keep their oaths, who also do this keeping with as little damage to the feelings of others as they can manage. However, is the second half of that sentence a qulaity more akin to gentility or courtesy than Honor?

It boggles the mind some days - especially this one.

Crown Lyst approaches and many brave people will take the field for, among other things, Honor. For Honor.......lay on. The Field of Honor....Honorable combat. For the honor of their consorts. The consorts are reminded to be worthy of the honor done them.

For the rest of the crowd, who will neither be fighting nor being fought for, I think honor is in paying attention to the honorable combatants - and not sniping at them for decisions on the field we think we may have made differently. There can be no honor in that, most assuredly.

The winners are honored not only by the bright new shiny metal coronets plonked on their heads, but by the sight of the populace showing support and not grimacing...the losers laughing in relief that THEY are spared the Metal Rounds of Doom instead of lamenting their loss in public.


Higher honorable acts, of course, abound in private - where hearts are mended by kind words, no advantage taken of the weak and no harsh or immoderate words belittle the reputations of those not present to defend them. Perhaps honor is also seen in THAT - the *conscious* absence of harmful actions - the Holding of Tongues bound together with the outreaching of hands.....

See you Sunday,
Alysoun