A Code of Honor
by Big Simon
Throughout history, there have been various codes of honor. Some of the more famous include Chivalry, the Bushido Code, and the Code of the West. While my code of personal conduct is a bit of a mish-mash of, well, most of what I’ve learned in my life, I particularly like how the Code of the West is so nuts-n-bolts, just says what it means and leaves it at that.
- Live each day with courage.
- Take pride in your work.
- Always finish what you start.
- Do what has to be done.
- Be tough but fair.
- When you make a promise, keep it.
- Ride for the brand.
- Talk less and say more.
- Remember that some things aren’t for sale.
- Know where to draw the line.
I guess it just resonates really well for me. Straight-forward, not walking around any the ideas in circles, hoping your audience gets what you’re saying. I think of all of those, the only one that might make someone scratch his head and go “Huh?” is “Ride of the brand”, so I suppose it could be summed up in a more modern phrase: “Be loyal to those who provide for you” (which I suppose is great, right up until they turn out to be the villain and start monologuing while you’re being dangled over an open pool full of man-eating snails…).
My basic code of conduct is this: Do right because it’s right, and don’t expect anything in return.
It’s worked for me so far.
What kind of code of conduct do you live by?