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Discussion: Valor
Sir William:
Let's not start a discussion on political correctness, which I feel goes hand in hand with this whole 'be innocent sheep bystanders while your fellow man is robbed, beaten and killed'...it only cultivates the rampant fear and paranoia that a lot of society seems to be feeding into.
At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, the media outlets seem to be in on it- all they report on are crime statistics in urban areas, nevermind that these very same urban areas tend to be more or less safe enough to move through but to hear them tell it, its Dodge City. People are people, it takes all kinds to make up this society we live in- and the predators mark their prey well. In this day and age, that includes most everyone, except for the few who have that look or are visibly armed.
I suppose I should've stayed back and let the fire and EMS personnel to put out that fire in my old apartment complex; if I had though, I fear more than a few children would never have made it out- especially given the ridiculously long response time (the firehouse was right across the damn street). I didn't put out the fire, I helped get those kids out- do you know their idiot parents had sent them down to another apartment to get bowls and pots full of water to try and put the fire out? (turns out the parents were drug dealers more concerned with their stash than the well being of their kids)
I didn't think it through...if I had, I probably would've rationalized NOT getting involved; if that makes me a bad person, to hell with whomever thinks so. I'm no gilded lily, and I'm unafraid when it comes to giving succour to those who need it, but some would call that crazy.
It is dangerous to step outside of your door, and yet every day we do it. You can spend your entire life guarding against perceived slights, injury or evil...or you can live it, and deal with those issues as they come.
Sir Brian:
--- Quote --- It is dangerous to step outside of your door, and yet every day we do it. You can spend your entire life guarding against perceived slights, injury or evil...or you can live it, and deal with those issues as they come.
--- End quote ---
Well put Paladin! I think I’ll use this as a lead into my contribution to this discussion. ;)
IMO valor is demonstrated by a terminally ill child who stoically tries to live every moment of their short lives to the utmost. Valor is the single mother who must work two or more jobs to provide for her child/children. Valor isn’t the absence of fear for your own life or well being but instead is the impetus that will compel you to continuously do what is right and needed at the precise moment it needs to be done.
Consider how your young princess handled going to school for the very first time Sir Wolf. Did she cry and resist or was she excited and anxious? Or was she shy and timid? ~ Regardless of how she handled one of the earliest defining moments in her young life, she handled it. (At least I assume she did and isn’t home schooled which would totally toss this line of thought into a midden heap!) ;)
Another fine example we get to see firsthand is at the renfaire when all those young kids demonstrate their valor by being willing to approach such large and menacingly looking knights. Many of the youngsters are overcome by their fears and their valor escapes them. :(
Sir Patrick:
I think it is important to separate valor from undirected/blind action, especially in the modern age. Take our previous posts about helping our fellow citizens when trouble arises. Intervening when someone is being beaten/attacked/raped/what-have-you is without a doubt the correct thing to do (laws be damned), but trying to be a hero during a gas station robbery is just plain stupid! The "victim" in this situation is a company with insurance and the means of absorbing the loss of the till. A knight would not risk the lives of other bystanders should things start to go south. Wisdom is the better part of valor. Other than that, there really is nothing I can add to what you other gentlemen have already said.
Sir Wolf:
true true :D
Sir Brian:
Very good point Red Knight! Another example would be the French Knights at Crecy. Their valor was eclipsed by their vanity which proved their undoing. Yet we can consider another historic example to be Pickett's charge. No doubt that every last one of those men exhibited extreme valor but it was all for naught because of General Lee's vanity, which adds a bit of reinforcement to the old adage of pride comes before the fall.
;)
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