Coraggio, Onore e Lealtà Part 2: "Honor"

The title is in Italian because it's a trait the people of Italy are renown for, and it's something I admire, maybe I've watched or read to many things on the Italian Mafia  but it doesn't make the trait any less admirable. If you couldn't guess this is the 2nd installment of a three part series that I have be writing about, the other two topics are "Loyalty" which I've already written about and the soon to be released "Courage".

"It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles. " -Niccolo Machiavelli 

Honor can be defined as "a showing of usually merited respect" so it should be that between friends and family that there should be honor since hopefully there is respect. You learn to respect a person, you become friends, and eventually that person feels like they are a part of your blood family. At this point you should respect and honor their feelings and requests (well obviously requests within sound reason, but I shouldn't have to tell you that.)

Of course their is another side to honor is the adjective form which is basically being a person worthy of respect. If people cannot live honorably, or respect others around them we are all doomed to become paranoid and emotionally unattached shells of what we as the human race are meant to be.

Things/People you should Honor

1. Your Family but should go without question. I don't want no bullshit either if you're a spoiled brat and "hate" you're parents jump off a cliff you're are seriously a waste of space. If you know your parents did they best they could, if you had food, clothes, a place to sleep and weren't abused in any way respect and honor your family.
2. Your friends. I mean honestly they put up with you they love you and sometimes they might as well be family. If you have friends who would commit illegal acts for you, friends who would give you money no questions asked and not expect to be paid back, friends at the drop of dime would defend you, keep them. Love, honor, respect and cherish them like they do you.
3. Your significant other. (Now this could get a bit touchy to and extent, so bear with me.) Ok so significant other obviously would mean you current boyfriend, or girlfriend, but the tricky thing is when you are single but have emotional ties to. So this would not include relationships of the strictly physical variety, but would include people you have feelings for and they feel the same way but for some reason you two are not together. If you "Love" someone you'll do the honorable thing and not do something to hurt them, now somethings are able to be forgiven, somethings are not but even if you can't forgive someone it doesn't mean you have to hurt them.
4. Promises. If you said you'd do it then do it simple as that, unless it is impossible or the promise itself would put you financially, physically, or emotionally in a distress and I do mean actual distress not simply uncomfortable.

This all boils down to the fact that if you have people in your life that CARE about you that honest to God CARE about you, then you should honor them. If you want to be thought of as an honorable trustworthy person then ACT like one. ( Of course for those people who are all about not caring what people think I hope you're ready to live a lonely life because as friend, son, daughter, mother, father, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, or husband you have to care what someone thinks.) My friend on her facebook said something that really struck a cord with me

 "What's on my mind? War, genocide, abuse, senseless acts of murder, animal cruelty, gluttony, greed, waste, hatred, lust...The end of the world has already happened, folks. No solar fire, no asteroid. Just an end to what we are."

What's sad is she's right but it doesn't mean we can't start again. I for one can't let things end the way they are I've got family and friends I love, a wife to find and, kids to eventually raise.