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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 3/7/2009
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Location: Inside Farlex computers
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 Our own heart, and not other men's opinions, forms our true honor. Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Location: Minsk, Minskaya Voblasts', Belarus
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Just one of many point of view, why make it so special? Isn't it kinda prejudicious?
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Rank: Member
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Location: Pskov, Pskov, Russia
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Good people are known to die for the sake of honor. Careful with this thingy.
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Location: East Montpelier, Vermont, United States
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This seems somewhat out of place in the modern world where co-operating is needed for the survival of the planet. Personally, I find the entire concept of the deification of "the individual" and "self-esteem" ridiculous and circular. After all, when we evaluate ourselves, are we evaluating ourselves evaluating ourselves, ad infinitum? What I think people really mean by the term is what we think that others see when they look at us. We can't, after all, be both subject and object simultaneously, but we can imagine what others would see. (By the way, this is known to be wrong in most cases. We are way off about what others think of us.) The individual hunter was displaced when agriculture made co-operation and scheduling a task for everyone together. Why are there still so many "hunters" among us?
In any case, thinking of ourselves as part of a greater group, fidelity to friends and family, and efforts at holistic views of the world, may be the only things that save us. After all, estimates are that if we continue our consumption and plundering of the Earth at the current rate, it is highly unlikely to be any humans at all in 200 years. The people who camp out in front of BestBuy before they open to get a TV that is 3-inches larger than the one they already have may well be the end of us.
Just as an aside, we often hear, and even think in terms of, what Darwin said about "survival of the fittest". The emphasis on that phrase was due to one of his apologists, Huxley. In fact, Darwin used that phrase only twice. He used the word, "co-operation", over 120 times, and the word, "love", 75 times. Most people misjudge him and his level of both intelligence and humanity.
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 12/21/2014
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Perhaps Coleridge was referring to affairs of the heart he married unhappily and separated from his wife in his latter years at a time when seperation was not customary. He may be merely cautioning people to ignore the views of and follow their heart maybe there was even another woman in his life who he had ignored but loved as she did not fit with the convent silly accepted wisdom of his peers and society at the time
Of course with a rise of individualism it is more important now more than ever that we create communities based on co operation and relationship but when it comes to choice of romantic partners it might be preferable to follow out own hearts and not the collective wisdom
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Location: Ivanovo, Ivanovo, Russia
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Sounds too idealistic.
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Rank: Newbie
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The Heart is treacherous,who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9
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Location: Savannah, Georgia, United States
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I agree whole heartedly,but it is far too easy to say such a thing from the shadows of life while pointing your fingers at the vast darkness of men's souls.
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Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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i wear my heart on my sleeves
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Location: Lilyfield, New South Wales, Australia
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striker wrote:i wear my heart on my sleeves Sleeves in the plural? Have you got two hearts like Doctor Who?
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Location: Apache Junction, Arizona, United States
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Yes, and so very true, but sadly so many "hearts" are black, cold and pure evil....
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Location: Koraput, Orissa, India
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Other's opinions do makes us lose our own self....and we stop taking our own decisions
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Location: Colonie, New York, United States
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It seems to me that Coleridge placed a high value on honor -- don't we all? -- and there is that honor obtained, in politics for example, by effectively voicing the opinions of others, irrespective of one's own beliefs. One would think, or hope, that such a person does this with good ends in mind and takes justified pride in the honors bestowed resulting from his/her efforts. On the other hand, the person who does this while feeling contempt for the recipients of his efforts cannot, or at least should not, feel in his/her heart that the honors are deserved. In other words, it's not necessarily about doing things your way, but rather your regard for honor.
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