What is honor: meaning

George Alvarez 18-10-2023
George Alvarez

In this article we want to talk to you a little bit about honor, There are many ways to talk about it. You may have heard about honor Or even among the samurai or about crimes against the honor of someone.

However, what does it all mean anyway? How can this topic be approached in so many different ways? Since it is not very clear, let's talk a bit about it? At the end, tell us what you already know about it, including your doubts and opinions. It will be great to talk to you! Now let's get to the article.

Honor according to the dictionary

According to the dictionary a honor is a feminine noun and originates from the word Honos (Latin).

Among the definitions that the dictionary presents, we can also highlight:

  • Prominent position in some group, work, community;
  • Characteristic linked to chastity, that is, purity;
  • Someone who possesses qualities that are considered virtuous.

Now that we have explained what the word means, it is important to mention its antonyms In the dictionary, it is demerit, opprobrium and disgrace On the other hand, the synonymous words are chastity, purity, honor, adoration, dignity .

General concept

Taking the above definitions into consideration, in general, the concept of honor is associated with a person's behavior. Thus, when a person is kind, dignified, brave and hardworking, he is socially considered an honorable person. In this way, we understand that when a person acts in a way that is expected by society, he will earn this status.

However, it is not just actions on behalf of oneself that qualify an individual, but also how admirably he acts on behalf of others.

Types

At the same time honor seems to have many variations, it also seems to be the same. Do you also feel this way? After all, the term is a feeling of value, which is very subjective. A value, even a value that is earned or maintained, as in the case of chastity.

In this context, we can divide honor into two types: objective honor and subjective honor. But what are these? The meanings of these terms can be understood as we put it below:

Subjective Honor In other words, it is how much the person thinks he is valuable, honorable, pure. It is about the person's inner honor;

Objective Honor This kind of honor is formed through the values that people attribute to the other. Therefore, this value comes through the way that communities, friends, family members, and even strangers see the person.

Understand

Both cases have a pre-established value. honor For example, in relation to chastity, this is a behavior that is expected among the more traditional individuals. It's an ingrained view, you know? So, the opposite, which is to lose one's chastity, for some is not a problem, but society doesn't see this as a value.

This can be applied to practically all the behaviors that validate a person as honorable. Moreover, one type of problem is related to the other. In this way, for you to consider yourself honorable, you need to be considered honorable by others.

Give honors and titles of honor

Speaking of being recognized by others, have you ever heard of honoring someone? To do honor is precisely the action of honoring someone who has behaved in a way that is considered worthy.

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In this context it is also worth knowing what titles of honor mean. These titles distinguish people who are recognized as honorable in society. They are people who belong to a social milieu that is considered "higher". Among the titles are for example "His Royal Highness", "His Excellency" and "His Majesty".

Another behavior that leads someone to be considered honorable is when he fights and/or for common goods. A person who dies for his country in a war, for example, is a person who dies honoring your country.

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See_also: Who was Anna Freud?

To be honored in the Bible

On the other hand, as far as the Christian religion perspective is concerned, the one who makes a person honorable is God. After all, in the religious view only God can judge. Therefore, only He can guarantee honor and help maintain it.

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Thus, as in the previous topic, This is a characteristic achieved through honorable actions. The human being has certain attitudes that guarantee him to be of value.

Among these attitudes we can highlight two that are signaled in the Bible:

  • Honoring one another: in Romans 12:10, the human being is called to love and honor one another;
  • Honor parents: In the passage Exodus 20:12 everyone is called upon to honor their parents in order to prolong their life on earth.

The Samurai Code

In Asian countries, such as Japan, Honor is seen as a duty. This is a duty to be performed by ordinary citizens and by the Samurai.

The samurai code of honor is called Bushidô, but it considers not only behavior, but the whole path a person follows. For the samurai, this code was more important than Japanese law, and their goal was to have an equally honorable life and death.

In this context, there are 7 principles that govern the samurai code. These are:

  1. Honesty : the samurai couldn't say he was going to do something and give up. He had to go all the way to fulfill his word.
  2. Loyalty: the faithful duty to the end to those he holds responsible.
  3. Compassion: the responsibility to help his companions at all times.
  4. Justice: the awareness that everything he does must be thought out from what is right and fair with everyone. It is not something that is expected of others, but what he does.
  5. Courage: the attitude of not being afraid to face life, but always cautiously and intelligently.
  6. Respect: This is because a man, for them, is differentiated by the way he treats everyone around him.
  7. Honor: The only judge of the samurai's honor is himself; he must be aware of himself and his choices.

When this honor However, this is not just any death, since the best way is by a sword. For the Samurai, the only honorable way to die is by a sword on a battlefield.

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Remember we talked about it being honorable to die for one's country? In this case, the honor is also in dying fighting for a cause.

With globalization, many countries have changed this way of regaining their dignity. However, the honor persists as a highly valued characteristic. Thus, people's focus is more on maintaining their honor than recovering it once it is lost.

Crimes against honor

There are three types of crimes against honor: slander, defamation and libel. Recalling the topic about the types of honor, we can divide the crimes between two types: slander and defamation are about objective honor and libel is about subjective honor.

  • Slander is making false or dishonorable statements about someone intentionally;
  • Defamation is when someone through lies, malicious comments, seeks to diminish a person's reputation with society;
  • Injury occurs when the defamation is not spoken to others, but to the victim himself.

All of these crimes are reportable, so be on the lookout for any occurrences of them around you.

The feeling of honor

Finally, we can say that honor is a feeling about someone's character. A feeling that is built and conquered through behaviors expected and admired by society So it is a title that they give someone, a title that they expect people to achieve.

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

The archetype of honor is something rooted and, in general, it is something linked to being good, even if good is relative.

Thus, it is important that they come to deal with how they react to this kind of social demand, which can be done with the help of psychoanalysis.

So if you want to do some treatment in this direction on a personal level, our Psychoanalysis EAD course will be of great value. The same applies if you want to practice as a psychoanalyst. Many people suffer from other people's expectations of their honor, so the field of work is vast and you will have the opportunity to help many people reassert themselves.

George Alvarez

George Alvarez is a renowned psychoanalyst who has been practicing for over 20 years and is highly regarded in the field. He is a sought-after speaker and has conducted numerous workshops and training programs on psychoanalysis for professionals in the mental health industry. George is also an accomplished writer and has authored several books on psychoanalysis that have received critical acclaim. George Alvarez is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others and has created a popular blog on Online Training Course in Psychoanalysis that is widely followed by mental health professionals and students around the world. His blog provides a comprehensive training course that covers all aspects of psychoanalysis, from theory to practical applications. George is passionate about helping others and is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of his clients and students.