Personal Affronts and Insults -- A Question

You have a devious mind, pax.


I like that! :D



And for the night visitors, add lights to it.

Oh, it helps if your sprinklers are the right kind. You dont' want those wimpy little things that require two hundred to cover your lawn. You want the AT&T brand - the Reach Out And Touch Someone kind!

lawn_sprinklers.jpg
 
While people for centuries have battled and died over honor, such historical precedent does not justify it in any way. Fighting over personal honor is a personal insecurity issue and something of a lack of maturity issue as well.

I really liked spacemanspiff's comments on honor. NO doubt, fighting does not prove honor, restore honor, etc. It may prove who is more capable in the fight, but might does not necessarily have anything to do with honor.

So somebody insults you. Suck it up. You aren't 12 anymore.
 
I've always enjoyed defending your honor with the deaths of your soldiers. A good massacre will always make a real man stand up a little straighter.


Honor, in most of its classical guises, is not really compatible with a society based on equality. Ethics and civic duty take over that similar role, as government 'by the people' supplants enlightened gentry, or equality taking the place of chivalry.

While 'honor' has had many fine practitioners, it suffers from the same checkered past as organized Christianity. Any concept that grants entitlement as an extension of personal belief is going to be misused and abused.
 
Dwight55

Let us not forget that Moses learned his meekness the hard way. He murdered a man in the heat of the moment before he was expelled from his rich-boy Egyptian life. ;)

It is through his mistake that learned to be respectful.
 
I think that King David was a good example of the right attitude regarding personal honor.

In 1 Samuel 17 he slew Goliath because he had defied the God of Israel. David was a mighty warrior for God.

But how different when his own honor was attacked.
2 Samuel 16:5 ¶And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

I suspect most of us would have said to take his head off, but David did not.
He knew that his honor did not rest in the opinions of others.
It is interesting that he also addressed those whom he hated.
Psalms 139:19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

What is an insult differs with individuals. But it is never excusable to get into a fight over your own honor, and especially when CCW.

As has been said here, what a thug thinks or says about you has not changed who and what you are.

Jerry
 
Recently some young - ahem - "gentlemen" took issue with my driving skills in a WalMart parking lot. Seems they were upset I didn't lock up my brakes when they decided to cross in front of me with no warning. In fact, they made some very impolite remarks. Normally I smile and wave, but for some reason this day it just wasn't gonna fly with me. I told 'em bring it on. Even pulled over into a parking spot so's we could "continue our discussion." Unforunately, I was carrying. I immediately slipped my holster out and stuffed it under the seat. The young gentlemen apparently decided they didn't really want to continue our debate, even though there were two of them and just li'l ol' fart me... Not sure why - I'm really not much of an imposing figure. Nonetheless, it's probably just as well - they'd have probably kicked my butt. In retrospect, I was quite foolish - my Plan A of "smile and wave" really does seem to be the best course of action.
 
Here is my assessment of what will happen if you get into a fight over honor.
No deadly force.
You will be arrested, lose your CHL, and pay some lawyer fees of probably several thousand dollars.

Deadly force, and you kill or shoot someone.
Arrested, gun confiscated, charged with a felony, tried and probably found guilty of a felony charge, spend 50,000 or more in lawyer fees, and spend some time in jail. You will be a felon forever.

Just plain foolish. Is it worth that to convince some punk that you are a man of honor and will fight for it?

Jerry
 
I think JerryM hit on something important with his example of King David, regardless of your religious beliefs. If you notice from that example, David didn’t respond with force when he was belittled. He did find the use of force appropriate when another’s “honor” was called into question (to use a more modern turn of phrase). I feel much the same way. An individual or groups of individuals can say just about anything they want about me, I wouldn’t even take the time to verbally respond. I will however respond, even to the point of force, to protect and defend those that I have a responsibility to defend.
 
I think that much of the time one speaks of honor it involves pride. I don't have to take that. Who do you think you are? I have rights, etc.
That pride is often destructive.

But another honor includes integrity. It has nothing to do with the type of pride that makes us think we are too good to take guff. Instead the honor of integrity is about being honest and trustworthy. That doesn't require fighting, but just a determination that you will do that which is morally right.

One of the sins that God hates is pride. It leads to all sorts of other sins and problems.

Jerry
 
I have a neighbor who is a complete idiot he thinks everyone is out to get him. he thinks that everyone is trying to poison him and his dog. he has verbaly assaulted everone who lives around him, and we all have restraining orders against him. Well one morning I was leaving to go to work and he chased my truck down the road when I stopped at the stop sign at the corner he reached in my window and hit me and do you know what I STILL DID NOT SHOOT HIM! Even tho I could have, as I always carry. After a long time he was convicted of assault and is serving probation. I did not shoot him because I did not feel he was a threat to my life. I live in Utah and we have some very good laws about the use of deadly force. even tho I could have shot I did not even draw my gun.
 
mk86fcc I guess I am a little confused by your post. How fast were you driving in a wal-mart parking lot? What kind of warning is a pedestrian supposed to give you? How old were these people? Did you want them to run out of your way? In most states a pedestrian has the right-of-way. I have had drivers looking for a parking spot turn from one aisle onto the street in front of the store and accelerate at me, and I at least stared them down if not commenting on their driving abilities.
 
For those that feel you need to fight for your honor because somebody called you a name, I would offer this. You are lacking honor or are so insecure in what little honor you have that you think a moron with an unkind word could damage your so-called honor. If you are that insecure, then maybe guns really are not for you.
 
be carefull

i would not go carrying a wepon just because someone made me mad if you feel that your life is in danger than by all rights you can get a bug and carry. but just think if you draw down on this unsespecting punck, that buzzes in your year once and awhile you have got to be ready to tke his life. ask your self are you ready to kill another human and for what are you willing to do it. guns are not barginning tools if i break leather someone is going to get hurt and maybe die. i never draw in bluff. and no one should ever do that.
 
I tried to teach my son's that there is nothing that anyone can say or do short of physical contact that would effect your life in any meaningful way.
But your reation to it can
Pretend every one around you is built like Mike Tyson, but less controlled, and you're built like Andy Dick, but with a brain.
 
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