Most of us will do at least some honorable things during our lives. Often these honorable things are mentioned at appropriate times. In a way, we use them as badges to prove our honorable character. But it is a mistake for us to believe that yesterday's nobility is proof that we are still that same person. Honor and integrity are things we need to continually work on for the rest of our lives. They can, and often do, slip away unnoticed, and we deceive ourselves by holding up a badge of yesterday's honor, a badge that represents something that no longer exists.
- I don't know, not me
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Let's say I ask you if you are honorable.
You say yes.
I ask you on what grounds.
What evidence could you point to? Things from the past? Would you have to do something honorable in front of me right then to prove your honor? Is it something that cannot be proven???
Good post; it made me think. Not ponder. Think.
I don't think something like honor or integrity can ever be "proved."
But what you CAN say is that in the past so-and-so has consistently acted in an honorable way, so there is a pretty good chance that the person is being honorable now or in the future. Or you can say that a person has consistently acted in a dishonorable way in the past, and is therefore likely to continue to be dishonorable.
Of course there are plenty of examples of previously honorable people commiting heinous crimes, and previously dishonorable people turning a new leaf. But I believe that past behavior, while certainly not conclusive, is usually a good indicator of present character.
And what's the difference between think and ponder? I have always thought they were synonyms...
Haha, I was just being silly with the think/ponder thing, not serious.
So your comment seems very contradictary of your original post.
"But it is a mistake for us to believe that yesterday's nobility is proof that we are still that same person."
"But I believe that past behavior, while certainly not conclusive, is usually a good indicator of present character."
I thought you would say honor couldn't be proven. I just won five bucks...from myself.
The two statements you quote are not at all contradictory.
There is a big difference between "proved" and "probable".
Post a Comment