Whenever I hear the word 'Honor', the ancient Samurai Seppuku comes to mind. It is, as portrayed in most Japanese and eastern movies, a suicide reserved for a Samurai who either choose to die voluntary with his dignity intact rather than falling into the hands of his enemies, who, as it is presumed will do more than just killing their prisoner (disgrace and shame often follows a capture in those days) or the one that he is forced to kill himself as a capital punishment for failure or misconduct "unworthy of a Samurai". This culture is believed to have saved secrets from being divulged, women from being raped by their captors (yes, the wife of a Samurai also kills herself in what was called Jigai, some even go to the length of binding their legs together so as retain their dignity as women even in death).
I wonder what those Samurai's will be thinking if they were to live in this day and age, an age in which the only dishonorable thing on a global scale is poverty and lack, a day and age that only celebrates and worships money and wealth and doing whatever it takes to get "there" is not frowned at, as long as you get there (the end justifying the means). I bet they will look down in disgust and tell each other how ashamed they are of what we have turned 'Honor' to.
Recalling a scene from the 2000 movie, Dungeons and Dragons featuring Jeremy Irons, Marlon Wayans and the rest, where Ridley and Snails went the the den of thieves to retrieve the "Eye of the Dragon", he went through the dangerous mazes and succeeded only for Xilus (played by Richard O'Brien) to snatch the eye away from him, and he goes "What about honor amongst thieves" and then Xilus expression and statement made the "we are thieves man, what is honorable about that?". That is a golden oldie for me. My point is, being 'Honorable' comes with a price, it come with sacrifice and it is a commitment not just a statement or title as many of our "Honorables" proudly hang around their names, some don't even respond to their given names until the title is attached meanwhile in essence, they should answer "Dishonorable" because that is what they do. That is not my point for now though.
Bringing it all together, I think the 'Honor' is one of the most abused English word ever, that is after Love, Truth, Trust, Sincere, Honest (damn, the abused words are plenty). We as individuals do anything to get whatever we want as long as we get it and as far as the eleventh commandment is obeyed, we think we are safe, good and legit. I often question the conscience and humanity of some people when I see or hear what is happening around the globe (not that I am judging, because I don't know what they are passing through or have passed through or even what triggered the act, keeping Atticus Finch in mind when he said “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’’).
Anyway, at the end of the day, I've concluded that the word 'Honor' is now a relative term so whatever works for anyone can be tailored along with the word but I wish to categorically state that their can never be "Honor amongst thieves" because their is nothing 'Honorable' about stealing in the first place. And again, when wearing the badge of 'Honor', as relative as it may be, make sure you are amongst people that relate to that kind of 'Honor' because selling meat to a vegan is a crime.
Photo Credit: Google Images & For Honor Games
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