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 The knight's bones are dust, And his good sword rust; His soul is with the saints, I trust. Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
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Be without fear, in the face of your enemies,
Be brave, and upright, that God may love you,
Speak the truth, always, even if it leads to your death,
Protect the helpless,
and do no wrong.
This is your oath.
Seems possible, if rare.
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Hi HWNN1961
Would you seriously speak the truth
even if it leads to your death?Honestly!
I think that leads to far.
Apart from that,every human being has
an unconscious instinct of self-preservation.
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Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
The Knight's Tomb
Where is the grave of Sir Arthur O'Kellyn?
Where may the grave of that good man be?--
By the side of a spring, on the breast of Helvellyn,
Under the twigs of a young birch tree!
The oak that in summer was sweet to hear,
And rustled its leaves in the fall of the year,
And whistled and roared in the winter alone,
Is gone,--and the birch in its stead is grown.--
The Knight's bones are dust,
And his good sword rust;--
His soul is with the saints, I trust.
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JB
The Knights in shinning armour, sword at hand fought valiantly till his bloody death for Queen and country. Outnumbered by satins evil army, The brave Knights in armour fought long and hard and decreased their numbers by many. Let us remember those brave Knights and forget the cowards that flee into the night those wretched souls. May you rest in peace brothers in arms, you will be remembered in stone and Bronze amongst the parks and trees. Let us not forget in hearts we trust for you have saved the day for the rest of us.
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To Thommy:
I think a knight is an ideal human being that some humans strive toward being. I think that anyone who attempts to live by a code of honor is a knight. And because, as you say, we all are instinctually self preservating, anyone who consciously forgoes one's instinctual impulses, and chooses the path of honor and truth, (such as those mentioned in HWNN's post), is what makes a human being noble. I think it is fitting that such nobleness of spirit is remembered in Coleridge's poem.
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...his dusty, rusty soul.
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Epitaph on the leg of the Marquis of Anglesey, buried at Waterloo, where he lost it during the battle in 1815:
Here rests – and let no saucy knave
Presume to sneer and laugh,
To learn that mouldering in the grave
Is laid – a British calf.
A leg and foot to speak more plain
Rest here of one commanding
Who though his wits he may retain
Lost half his understanding
And now in England just as gay
As in the battle brave,
He goes to rout, review and play,
With one foot in the grave.
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Thommy wrote:Hi HWNN1961
Would you seriously speak the truth
even if it leads to your death?Honestly!
I think that leads to far.
Apart from that,every human being has
an unconscious instinct of self-preservation. I"ve never been in such extremis. No one can honestly say what they'd do in the crisis. I hold that ideal, but can only hope I'd live up to it.
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Marissa La Faye Isolde wrote:To Thommy:
I think a knight is an ideal human being that some humans strive toward being. I think that anyone who attempts to live by a code of honor is a knight. And because, as you say, we all are instinctually self preservating, anyone who consciously forgoes one's instinctual impulses, and chooses the path of honor and truth, (such as those mentioned in HWNN's post), is what makes a human being noble. I think it is fitting that such nobleness of spirit is remembered in Coleridge's poem. Wish I'd read down the thread futher Marissa before I posted. Your well worded response renders my post redundant.
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HWNN1961 wrote:Thommy wrote:Hi HWNN1961
Would you seriously speak the truth
even if it leads to your death?Honestly!
I think that leads to far.
Apart from that,every human being has
an unconscious instinct of self-preservation. I"ve never been in such extremis. No one can honestly say what they'd do in the crisis. I hold that ideal, but can only hope I'd live up to it. No one, HW? How about suidide bombers et al? I mean sane people of all ages and genders. I mmean people like teachers, practising Doctors etc., as well as maniacs.
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Thommy said 'apart from that, every human being has an unconscious instinct for self-preservation' which is undeniably true. It is an instinct, just like the sexual instinct, related to the continuation of the species.
However, isn't it the boast of homo sapiens that they rise above their base instincts? Indeed, so successful do many think that we have become at doing this that they are appalled even to be reminded that we are merely one species of the many animals that exists upon the planet.
We don't give into the 'unconscious instinct' to attempt procreation during every contact with a partner of the opposite sex - in fact those who attempt to do so are labelled 'animals' by society. Our attempts to put our base instincts behind us have led to the the most wonderful achievements in architecture, art, music, literature and philosophy which we claim separates us from all other animals.
So I think you are selling your species short in thinking that, across the world and through the ages, humans everywhere have not, and do not continue to, speak the truth in disregard of that instinct of self-preservation. Even if we think of 'death' in a metaphorical way - the death of our reputations, our societal standing, our careers, our marriages, friendships, proof lies all around us that people choose truth over instinct every day.
(sorry to come in late. Been away. But I couldn't let that one go unchallenged.)
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