What is honour?

[Terry Matthes]

There seems to be no clear answer. I don't want opinions on wether or not honour is a good or bad thing, I just want to know what it is definition wise.

PS- Damn you Last Samurai. I had no questions till I saw that movie :(

[quartermaster]

most definitions seem to point towards distinction and privellige.
also to respec(ed) and reverence.

putting it all together i would say that honour is respect/reverece/awe created by actions of an individual, making them distictly above average calibur, genuinely good people.

[john yates]

Look at your self and think when did you do the right thing .if you can say yes then that is honour.

[Dark Blade]

Not only doing the "right" thing, but if you put yourself at disadvantage when you did the "right" thing, that's a higher level of honour.

The "right" thing is hard to define and this is a complex topic.
It all depends on the situation.

[Jim]

Good question Terry!

I think the definition of 'honour' is different for (most) people. What one would call an honourable act another would call cowardly. I can give you an example:

You see a person dying a terrible death and they ask you for the Coup d'Grace to end their suffering. You accept and execute them. Now, in some cultures this would be an honourable thing to do, others would consider it cowardly.

From the other standpoint, consider you were in the painful death situation. Do you ask for the quick way out or 'stick it out'? Both could be honourable, but my conscience tells me not giving the Coup d'Grace is the more honourable thing to do. Life is always the answer (for me).

[RubyMoon]

Honor is having the courage to do what you know is right, no matter what the consequences. It is about embracing truth, in all its forms, and striving to rise above lies and hypocrisy. Honor is having respect and reverence for all life, and standing up for those who cannot stand on their own.

Honor is having the strength to rule and the humility to serve.

[Tireces]

Honour is honor spelled with a u. :D

[Serpico]

No, honor is honour without the "u". ;) ;)

[Tireces]

No no, thats what you say when they get fed up and say "Ok wise guy, then what is honour without the u?" I guess I'll have to think up something else in case it comes out.

[Paratus]

Honor is having the strength to rule and the humility to serve.

Great statement above :D ; I also think honor would be defined by both the individual and the culture.

[Terry Matthes]

Great posts especially Ruby Moon!

[Jim]

My cheapy dictionary says:

Honour; Respect, esteem, testimony of esteem, dignity, good name, a nice sense of what is right, scorn of meanness.

If you're using courage to define it, can you be honourable without courage?

[TigerAnsTKDLove]

what my definition of honor is when you believe in yourself and never giving up also honor to me is honoring your country and the people that are dieing overseas for us. also when you tell your family you love them... now thats honor part of our shield of life what we say everytime at tkd there is a honor quote that we resite it goes: honor: honor your family, your teachers, your country and the law of the country.

[RubyMoon]

Originally posted by Jim
If you're using courage to define it, can you be honourable without courage? Is it honorable to turn your back on someone in need because you are afraid to get involved? I wouldn't say courage defines honor, but sometimes it takes courage to be honorable.

[Koryo]

Honour is the strength to change what you can, the humility to accpet what you can't, and the wisdom to tell the difference.

I forget where I heard this but it is very applicable IMO.

[Ara]

Originally posted by RubyMoon
Honor is having the courage to do what you know is right, no matter what the consequences. It is about embracing truth, in all its forms, and striving to rise above lies and hypocrisy.

I agree with that, especially the first sentance. Honour is the ability to see through the cloud of everyone elses judgement and make a pure, unbiased view and act upon that, regardless of what it may entail.

[Mig]

Originally posted by RubyMoon
Honor is having the courage to do what you know is right, no matter what the consequences. It is about embracing truth, in all its forms, and striving to rise above lies and hypocrisy. Honor is having respect and reverence for all life, and standing up for those who cannot stand on their own.

Honor is having the strength to rule and the humility to serve.
:eek:
Wow!!
That's nailed it for me.

[David]

I see honour as a blend of conscience, honesty and kindness. Honourable behaviour can be anything from a smile, a tear all the way to sacrificing your life for what you believe in.

Everyone has a slightly different answer (including me) but it all ultimately adds up to the same thing.

Rgds,
David

[Xia]

Honor is blind in some, and in others today they have none.

[Kwajman]

I think we need to pay more attention to Rubymoons posts. She's got an awful lot of good things to say in just a few words.

[Capt Ann]

Good job, RM,

I can't add anything to that one.

[Terry Matthes]

Honor is blind in some, and in others today they have none.Posting a vague quote is like a sublte way of saying "I don't know what I am talking about, so here is someone elses two cents".

[Xia]

...Terry, Thanks for your 'two' cents really, if I was vague...my apology. I'll leave you to this topic.

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Honor is blind in some, and in others today they have none.

And I'm one of those who have none, and proud of it.

[Kwajman]

Its making my head hurt....

[johndoch]

Honour just a word to make people feel better about their actions.

I bet Hitler felt he was doing the honourable thing. The red cross probably feel that their actions are honourable.

Both think their honourable but only one is actually doing good for the world. Even Hitler has followers that think his actions are honourable.

Personally I believe honours just a word to feed the ego.

[Jim]

Mmmm, I'm not sure. Read 'The Outsider' and tell me if you think the way he lived his life was honourable...

[clutchdoctor]

Mmmm, I'm not sure. Read 'The Outsider' and tell me if you think the way he lived his life was honourable...

i can't rememebr much from it....but from what i do remember, there are things that he could have done differently, but also you have to remember he's young. well i think ponyboy did live his life about as honourable as he could possibly could for his age and background.

[Light_bringer77]

Honor for me is being one with all of yourself.

It is to value feelings by words.
It is to value saying by actions.

it is also to shine but not blind.
So means to show a path to who requests
and not force a way to who don't want
It is to lead ppl into great things
And to make them feel they did it, not you.
With honor, the first step to lead is to be behind.
Without honor, leading is about receiving pride from others.

I do not agree with those who put courage with honor... for courage I see is often the act of making the first step in war, of attacking first, of being reckless... If you think of courage as a person who wouldn't take sword in hand in a war, who would withstand thousand insults with a smile, then I agree.

Honor acts without expectation,
Does not abide in its accomplishments,
Does not want to show its virtue.

Honor is to abandon justice to compassion
To welcome the ennemy arms open

To attack first is fear of being beaten
To avenge a fallen is to make the same act his killer did
To revenge is telling your ennemy he is right

Honor is to accept humiliation as a surprise
Misfortune as yourself
And great fortune as a gift

As a room is usefull by its emptyness
honor is not to remember past acts and be valued by them
Its to be ready and give to others
It is to be full due to our emptyness

this is a part of tao te ching which means honor to me:

"Produce it but don't possess it.
Act without expectation.
Excel, but don't take charge.

This is called Mysterious Virtue."

We do not give birth to ourself,
for so exists life
We should not value ourself
And so will exist value

It is because one does not abide in past acts, that those honor one.

....but again, that's just the way I think!

[Terry Matthes]

Can evil people have honour / morale integrity. I think they can.

[shonuff]

Evil people can not have honor and moral integrity. It's an oxymoron. The reason people are evil is because they have no honor or moral integrity.

[Andrew Green]

evil and morale integrity are hard to define.

What one person sees as evil and morally right another might see as honourable.

Those guys that crashed into the WTC, some say that is evil. Others say that is giving your life for what you believe in.

Some people believe it is morally wrong to eat meat, either at all or on certain days, or certain types of meat, etc. So I guess all of us that eat meat have no honour because we do something that is morally wrong every day, and enjoy it :D

[Terry Matthes]

Great now I don't get to squable with people cause you told them the answer :(

[Darkflames21]

Originally posted by Dark Blade
Not only doing the "right" thing, but if you put yourself at disadvantage when you did the "right" thing, that's a higher level of honour.

The "right" thing is hard to define and this is a complex topic.
It all depends on the situation.

My thoughts exactly.

[shuyun3]

Originally posted by Dark Blade
Not only doing the "right" thing, but if you put yourself at disadvantage when you did the "right" thing, that's a higher level of honour.

The "right" thing is hard to define and this is a complex topic.
It all depends on the situation.

i disagree there is no difficulty in knowing the right thing. there is only difficulty in choosing right because evil is more convenient.

Honor is not to give way to the expedient but to do right no matter what, no matter when whether or not you are appreciated.

[Nordic_Blood]

Mine honor is my life; both grow as one,
Take honor from me, and my life is done.

I only know of honor that which I was taught, and that is as follows:

All honor is born of three tenets:

Obligation
Justice
Courage

Of course that is just the short version...

[Jim]

NB, where did you get that from?

[Andrew Green]

Honor is doing what you believe in, and not hiding around the corner while someone else does it for you ;)

Honor is standing in front of what you believe in, not putting it in front of you. (people that hide behind there religion, family, friends, money, doctors, lawyers, car, house, sink, etc. Make me sick....)

Honor is taking responsibility for your actions, regardless of the outcome.

[StoneAngel]

Originally posted by Andrew Green
Honor is doing what you believe in, and not hiding around the corner while someone else does it for you ;)

Honor is standing in front of what you believe in, not putting it in front of you. (people that hide behind there religion, family, friends, money, doctors, lawyers, car, house, sink, etc. Make me sick....)

Honor is taking responsibility for your actions, regardless of the outcome.

Does it make you sick because you are jealous? What if you believe in nothing but your own personal happiness? Is it honourable to screw everyone else to get there - you are a scary little man AG.

[Andy Murray]

Surprise, surprise, another attack on Andrew Green.

You do wish to enjoy this forum, with all it has to offer, don't you?

[surgingshark]

He seems to be tailing him on the forum, contradicting whatever he may say for the sake of contradicting him. That, I believe, is NOT an honorable act.