warriors of our own life

Courage: The Nine Noble Virtues start with courage. This is very appropriate because, without courage, you cannot live up to your code of honor for very long. The word “courage” comes from the Latin word “heart.” It takes courage to stand for your beliefs and live according to your own code of ethics. 

 “The test of courage comes when we are in the minority.” -Emerson.

 “The brave and generous have the best lives. They’re seldom sorry.” -The Havamal. 

Truth: You should have enough confidence in your beliefs and your actions to be truthful. Truth is simply being honest about what you believe or know to be true and right. Simply put – don’t lie. This sounds very straightforward, but lying has become commonplace that it is almost expected in today’s world. It shouldn’t be this way for the true warrior. 

 “There is always a way to be honest without being brutal.” -Author Dobrin.

 “There should be truth in thought, truth in speech, and truth in action.” -Gandhi Honor.

Honor: Without honor, there can be no true warrior or true human being as far as that goes. Honor is not a black and white character trait. It is hard to define. One could define honor as your internal integrity or dignity. Many people wrongfully think that their honor has to do with their reputation, but that is not true. It is the warrior who determines his or her honor; your reputation is determined by other people’s thoughts, for the most part. You determine your own honor, or lack of honor, by staying true to your own beliefs and living according to your own code of honor. Your personal honor is determined internally by your own commitment to live up to your predetermined ethics. It is your intentions and your actions which determine your honor, not what someone else thinks. The true warrior, who lives by a code of honor, will have very few regrets in life because he will know that he has done the best that he can to live a life of honor with truth and purity of intention. 

Fidelity:  The word fidelity means being faithful. There are many things that you can be faithful to; not all of them of honorable. Fidelity, as used in the Nine Noble Virtues, refers to being faithful or loyal to yourself and your beliefs, family, and friends. The warrior will defend his family and friends no matter the cost because of his dedication to this virtue.  You determine your own honor, or lack of honor, by staying true to your own beliefs and living according to your own code of honor. Your personal honor is determined internally by your own commitment to live up to your predetermined ethics. It is your intentions and your actions which determine your honor, not what someone else thinks. The true warrior, who lives by a code of honor, will have very few regrets in life because he will know that he has done the best that he can to live a life of honor with truth and purity of intention. 

Discipline: As referred to in the Nine Noble Virtues, it mostly means self-discipline. These virtues or qualities are not perfected overnight. It takes discipline to live according to your own personal code of ethics. A true warrior lives according to his own code. Not according to what corrupt politicians or cultural standards dictate. This means that he must exercise a great deal of self-discipline. If the warrior lives by his own standards, he must be willing to control his own actions. Many legal things may go against the warrior’s own code of honor, and the warrior’s personal standards may permit many things that governments declare illegal. For the warrior to stay true to his own principles and virtues, he must develop self-discipline. 

“He who lives without discipline dies without honor.” -Icelandic Proverb. 

“What lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.” -Aristotle. 

Hospitality: Definitely a warrior trait. The warrior is expected to treat others with respect and dignity. You must see other people as people who deserve to be treated with respect and courtesy. The Vikings believed that sometimes the gods would visit people in human form, which is disrespectful to strangers; they could also disrespect the gods. The Bible also states a similar belief, stating that many people have entertained angels unknowingly when they have entertained strangers. Whether or not angels or gods visit people in the form of strangers is irrelevant. What matters is that you treat everyone with respect and courtesy. The warrior does this because it is a part of his own code of ethics. It would be best if you treated others with hospitality not because they deserve it, but that is how you behave towards other people. It has to do with your own principles; what others deserve has nothing to do with it. 

“It is the task of a good man to help those in misfortune.” -Sophocles. 

“We should behave to our friends as we would wish our friends to behave to us.” -Aristotle. 

Industriousness: This means the willingness to work hard at whatever you do. If something is worth doing, do it well. Do it with pride and do it to the best of your ability. The warrior has to work hard and smart to take care of his family. This doesn’t just apply to your vocation, but to everything you do – your entire way of life. A true warrior is a person of excellence. He or she will do everything with care and detail. Mediocre acts are not acceptable. Warriors set high expectations for themselves in everything they do, and they refuse to lower their standards in their work or their personal beliefs. 

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.” -Henry Ward Beecher. 

Self-Reliance: Warriors are, by nature, independent beings. This doesn’t mean that the warrior doesn’t like other people or enjoy being around other people, but rather that he strives to ensure that he doesn’t have to depend on others for his survival. The warrior is responsible for taking care of himself and his family; this is his first and foremost duty in life. He is never comfortable when his family’s welfare depends on something outside of his own control. Being dependent on someone else for your own needs puts you in a dangerous position. Such a position can make it very hard on the warrior as he may be put in a position to choose between his standards and principles or his job. For this reason, it is best to strive to be as independent of outside influences as possible. This is hard to do in today’s world. Being frugal and financially stable is an important part of being self-reliant. Do your best not to have to depend on other people for your welfare.

Perseverance: Without perseverance, you will not be successful in applying the Nine Noble Virtues in your life. No one is perfect, and you will make mistakes. To live the warrior lifestyle, you cannot simply give up and quit when you fall short of your mark. You must persevere. You must never give up. The warrior’s code of honor is too important for him to give up or give in when the going gets tough. The warrior lifestyle is a lifelong way of living. Being a true warrior is not something you try; it is something you are. It is a way of living, a way of being. You don’t try to be a warrior – you either are a warrior, or you are not a warrior. You either have honor and integrity, or you don’t. For the true warrior, falling short doesn’t mean failure; it means learning and being determined to do better next time. Perseverance is essential to living the warrior lifestyle.