Personal Honor Code
Through the semester I have learned some interesting things. From the use of slaves in Olympic Games to the two sided social status of a Roman Gladiator there were many shared ideas and discussions about who, what, when, where, and why. All of this is wonderful, but how does this affect me? Honestly, it doesn’t all that much change my opinions on any one aspect of my life, but, it has given me reason to review where I stand in terms of violence and to think about what is honor to me. In reflecting on the concepts learned this semester I will explain my view of honor, what relevancy honor has today, the concepts I try to live by, and why violence still holds purpose today and in my life.
According to how the word honor is used, it is something that can be given, gained, made, found, lost, taken, and shared. From this, it almost sounds like something tangible when in fact it is one of the most ideal concepts of being human. Honor is what is gained when one acts honorably. To me, to act honorably means that one does what is right in their own view and does whatever is in their means to protect what they love, whether it is an idea, person, or object. This concept of honor is one that is appealing to me because it encourages the idea of common decency while still rewarding passion and can be used universally.
Even in today’s society honor is not lost. As children we grow up with the idea of honor and bravery from heroes in cartoons and story books. Honor is encouraged in schools when we are told to always do the right thing. When growing up, we are often given rewards for doing the right thing when it is not expected of us, thus encouraging the idea of honor. For example, in elementary school if someone finds money and takes it to the office that person is rewarded, some might even say honored, by having their name called over the announcements as the finder of such.
It is clear we grow up with the idea of honor being taught to us, some believe it is lost but that is not the truth. As we grow older, it becomes less important that we are receiving honor but more important about whom we are receiving it from and for what. To be honored by someone you do not care for does not mean much while to be honored by someone whom you have strong feelings for will make a difference in your desire to be honored by that individual. The same concept works when speaking of the honor in which someone may receive. Honor does have relevance today because it inspires people do right and gives incentives to people to follow their passions.
In my life, I try to do the honorable thing but usually that is not all that inspires me. I’m more inspired by negative thought so my inspiration to do the right thing is to try and imagine myself in the future and whether or not I will regret the decision I make. I try to live life without any regrets which means leaving no stone unturned. I try to live a simple life so that is all there is to me.
I believe that violence still has purpose today to fulfill that gap of primal extinct that still exists in a large part of society. On top of that, war is still felt today all over the world, and people returning or people feeling the effects of war need to release anger in some way. This is where the concept of catharsis and “controlled violence” come into play. For me, I am usually a happy person who is not violent; I like to think it is because of wrestling.
Honor and violence, concepts that seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum today, but in the past were heavily linked. Times have changed but both have changed in use and what they contribute to society. This class has allowed me to form a solid view on my view of honor, what relevancy honor has today, the concepts I try to live by, and why violence still holds purpose today and in my life.