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Living by a code of honor. Or any code really

06:03 / 22.12.02

Does anyone here live by some type of code? Like the samurai and Bushido? Or even strictly follow a religion? I've always had a hard time placing limits on myself. Although raised Catholic, I used to say I was agnostic, so everything was kinda up in the air. In the early years of high school, I never really drank or did drugs, but didn't call myself straight-edge because I didn't want to impose certain rules on myself. So does anyone live by some type of code these days? The only people I can think of are straight edge kids. I mean even a lot of religious people I know, don't strictly follow the rules established by their religion, preferring instead to take the bits and pieces that they like. And more power to them if that's what works for them. I'm not saying it's necessarily good or bad. I'm just curious if anyone adheres to some type of strict code.

pointless and uncalled for

10:33 / 22.12.02

I live by the code that you may do whatever you choose under the provision that you accept the consequences of your actions. It's by no means a religous code or even one of a particularly spiritual nature. I just find it easier than adhereing to the law and other societal and moral obligations.

I would say that moral/ethical vegitarians and vegans live by a code though.

14:19 / 22.12.02

Living by a code of honour is all very well, but first you have to have a code of honour. I think it's the moral certainty that people would like, rather than the actual living.

I always give people cigarettes if they ask. Unless they're rude.

17:39 / 22.12.02

Yeah, I guess I've sort of fallen into one, of late. Let me try to formalize it...

Given that Man is guaranteed unhappiness from three sources, the mortality of his body, the resistance of the external world to his desires, and the vicissitudes of other people...

1. If something is wrong, it's my fault. I can either (A) change the parts of it I am responsible for, or (B) change my thinking about the parts of it I'm not.
2. When I am dissapointed and/or angry with those around me, I should seek to understand them, rather than to be understood.
3. Practice, in all things, a restraint of pen and tongue.
4. When walking with a girl, walk on the outside. Follow up stairs, lead down. Always hold the door.
5. Admit when I'm wrong and be willing to fix what I've done.
6. Honesty above all else, and in distinction to callousness.

I don't know. I'm having trouble formalizing things here. I know I have a formal system, it's just a practical, rather than a theoretical one. The advantage is, I'm not doing it to be moral or ethical. I'm doing it because I've been convinced that doing it is the only surefire way to prevent myself from relapsing into slow-motion suicide. Which is sort of a Stoic/Epicurean trope - that being ethical is the easiest way to be happy.

Brigade du jour

20:56 / 22.12.02

Try and be honest and don't fuck other people over. That's my code. Simple but it works for me!

02:08 / 23.12.02

I attempt to seek out methods of control on my person and eliminate them. This includes the eradication of subconscious tendencies, propaganda, addictions (I'm currently kicking sugar), and obligations (which pisses off my girlfriend). The only promises I keep are those I make to myself--often with someone else's welfare in mind--and those ones I try my best to fulfill. However, I only make promises, not vows. So I'll promise to pick you up at the airport on Tuesday, but I won't vow to pick you up whenever you need a ride.

I suppose my code is to find out what I really want and do my best to get it, rather than working hard for ends I don't really understand. So far, I think I have a long way to go.

23:12 / 23.12.02

I envy anyone who can actually state a code and live by it. For reasons that are not too apparent to me, it feels as if living by any particular code would seem confining somehow, as if I couldn't do the things I "shouldn't" do at a time when they might be necessary.

Or am I missing the point completely?

I've always liked some of the tenets of Sufism that I've read about.

::a::

A

02:15 / 24.12.02

When it comes to codes, how often is it a case of the cart leading the horse? What I mean is- I think that a lot of, for example, self-described Straight-Edgers have decided to be Straight-Edge, and therefore they do not use drugs, rather than they have decided not to use drugs, and therefore they are Straight-Edge. (I don't think I'm being quite as coherent as I could be, but i think you get the picture).

I'll write more later when I'm thinking a bit more clearly.

My code- I does what I likes, and I likes what I does.

09:24 / 26.12.02

Count Adam: And when it's time to party you will party hard?

A code of honour must be chosen; otherwise it would have to be dependent on external punishment or reward. Thus there must be some correlation between the code and the person's natural tendencies. If I were straight-edge, it would be because I think drugs are hazardous to my physical or mental health. Other people may have other reasons. At the moment I am going straight-edge in that I am not eating sugar, because I think it is hazardous to my physical and mental health. It is difficult to control myself, especially since 'tis the season to be snacking. So I decided on my code based on desire for health, but now I must go against my minute-to-minute desires for tasty treats.

But my reasons for valuing health over taste are less clear. This is where I must concede to conditioning. I also stop myself from killing people (although I haven't had the urge since high school...), and it is easier to see how that comes from what I was taught as a child and what is subtly drilled into my head constantly.

Morlock - groupie for hire

11:03 / 31.12.02

I've never formalised it, really, but I do spend a lot of time worrying about Doing The Right Thing (TM). I tend to start from vague first principles and go from there, stuff like "others are at least as important as yourself". Not very catchy, I know. It sounds better if I don't have to use words.

Since it's more about self-denial than self-improvement I can't say it's made me happy, but at least I don't disappoint myself too often.

Tryphena Absent

16:51 / 31.12.02

I'm sure that I live by some code of honour but it's too complex to be coherently written. Often such a code only makes itself known in certain circumstance and is tied in to the selflessness of a person. I view myself as quite selfish and defensive but don't necessarily see it as negative, it's simply protection in a world that can be quite ruthless, I suppose that my code centres around my need for self-preservation. In regards to other people I attempt to let them get on with their lives and completely ignore people that I have little desire to talk to, I'm terribly nice to those that I dislike, I can be brutal with people I know well. I don't tend to worry about what's right and what's wrong because my gut instinct tells me those things, they stopped being conscious a while ago, I suppose my code of honour is something completely built in to me.