Wednesday, July 27, 2022

What Does It Mean To Be A Warrior?

It has been my assertion that the only path to long-standing liberty is to take on warrior culture, and I maintain this position on the matter.

But what does it even mean, "warrior culture"?  More pointedly, what does it mean to be a Warrior?  Let us begin once more by repairing to the various dictionaries to see whether we may find help there.  But first, we need the right words - those that define the qualities of a warrior.  To wit, and in the broadest terms, a Warrior bears the following characteristics and qualities:
    1. Courage
    2. Generosity
    3. Clear intellect/magnanimity
    4. Industriousness
    5. Honor
    6. Impeccability
There are several other list items, but they all stem from these, more or less.

Courage, n. : Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger or difficulties without fear or depression of spirits; boldness; resolution.  It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.

Generosity, n. : The quality of being generous

 Generous, a. : 2. Noble; honorable; ...

3. Liberal; bountiful; munificent; free to give; ...

Intellect, n. : That faculty of the human soul or mind which receives or comprehends the ideas communicated to it by the senses, of by perception, or by other means; the faculty of thinking; otherwise called the understanding.  A clear intellect receives and entertains the same ideas which another communicates with perspicuity.

Perspicuity, n. : 2. Clearness to mental vision; easiness to be understood; freedom from obscurity or ambiguity; ...

 Magnanimity,  n. : Greatness of mind; that elevation or dignity of soul, which encounters danger and trouble with tranquility and firmness; which raises the possessor above revenge, and makes him delight in acts of benevolence; which makes him disdain injustice and meanness, and prompts him to sacrifice personal ease, interest, and safety, for the accomplishment of useful and noble objects.

Knowledge, n. : 1.  A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy, of our ideas.

Impeccability, n. :  -> 

impeccable, a. : Not liable to sin; Not subject to sin; exempt from the possibility of sinning.

Honor,  n. : True nobleness of mind; magnanimity; dignified respect for character, springing from probity, principle, or moral rectitude; a distinguishing trait in the character of good men.

Industrious, n. : 1. Diligent in business or study; constantly, regularly, or habitually occupied in business; assiduous; as opposed to slothful and idle.  3. Given to industry; given to diligence; as, an industrious life.


Applied to an individual, these standards set a high bar for any man.  The Warrior is, after all, the superior man.  However, his superiority arises not based upon his perfect attainment of these characteristics and qualities, but in how well he aspires to them, repairs his errors, and learns from them.  We are all of us fallible men and cannot be reasonably expected to be without flaw or error, but knowing right from wrong is well within the reach of even lesser men, and so it is well expected for nearly all individuals to act in accord with that knowledge.

Lesser men might be be expected to copulate on the street like dogs, but this is never possible for the Warrior, whose sense of proper comportment keeps him right at all times.  Let us be clear that we are not speaking of the proverbial Boyscout, for even the Warrior may have a sense of humor and of the harmlessness of petty sins committed on occasion with a wink and nudge.  But he is always firmly and centrally aware of the slippery slopes that exist in the committing of such exceptions, and is keen and determined never to allow himself to fall into those traps, which so stealthily sneak up on a man, the next thing knowing that he has fallen into dishonor and perhaps even gross criminality.

The Warrior retains self-control and shows the dignity and responsibility of a man who is able and willing to judge every situation for himself, knowing where reside the lines which must not be crossed.  None of this is easy and much of the practice constitutes the high art to which all decent men endeavor to apply themselves with diligence and fortitude, pursuant to the honing of one's skills at the highest levels possible.

Warriors fear no adversity, their will to move forward in spite of fear lending the very definition of what it means to be a courageous man.

Magnanimity and generosity stems not so much from how widely they open their wallets to those needing help and care, but rather in their will to allow others their lives, just as he wishes his own.  Sincerity over hypocrisy is the way of the Warrior.  Recognizing the equal, just claims of his fellows, he honors those claims as he wishes his own to be respected, regardless of whether he agrees with another's choices.

The Warrior is in possession of himself and is immune to the ill-considered words and gestures of ill-sentiment of others.  His sense of strategy leaves him thankful to his adversaries, who give themselves, their opinions, sentiments, and at times their intentions, freely away to him with their harsh expressions of mockery, disdain, and threat.  Those expressions comprise invaluable information as to where he stands in relation to other men, and when the words are disagreeable, he knows how to react in order best to avoid trouble.  Compare with the mean man who becomes upset and raging over the intended insults of other men, foolishly responding with sweat and shaking fists.

Becoming a Warrior is an endeavor toward complete self-control rendering others powerless to force one's hand, even when life and limb come to threat.  He chooses his responses, rather than the other way around, which is the way of the Weakman.

A Warrior treasures intellect and strives to make the most of that with which he was gifted.  This is as much an issue of attitude as it is of those gifts, such as they may be.  The Warrior develops his powers of intellect, and in accord with his journey to self-control and ever greater knowledge, strives to learn when logic and reason must shorten the reins of his passions, that he not run amok, head-first into gross error.  This is all part and parcel of knowing who you are, what you want, and what is right versus what is easy.

Unlike the Weakman, the Warrior knows when he is best served by industry, his bent to self-control cracking the whip against the hind quarters of his lassitude, thus propelling him into action, pursuant to all good diligence.  He is indolent when it profits him to be so, for we all need our rest.  But when the duty of good and necessary labor beckons, the Warrior answers the call promptly and with good cheer.

The Warrior loves freedom above all things and will place his honor, his fortune, and his very life on the line to preserve it against threat, whether it be his own liberty, or that of his fellows.  To defend the rights of others, is to defend one's own.

The Warrior is a student of strategy and tactics, for each is needed in the treatment of all threats to common liberty.  He must exercise the courage to do what is required in defense against the evil machinations of the manifold tyrants who would see all men set to chain and manacle.  The Warrior understands that freedom is at least as scary, and at times utterly horrifying, as it is exhilarating and joyful, for the world is replete with all imaginable hazards, most of those issuing from other men.  The Warrior accepts these hazards as part and parcel of freedom, embraces them, and prepares himself as best he is able, always with the full understanding that this world offers him no guaranty of his continued survival, much less of health or prosperity, or even justice.  He accepts reality and girds himself for all contingencies to the degree his will and ability allow.

The Warrior's greatest gift and weapon is his attitude, for it is by that instrument that he retains (or relinquishes) the ability to be captain of his own life, regardless of circumstance, fair or foul.  One cannot always choose his conditions, but he can always choose how he will meet them in terms of his attitude.

Warriors are strong, self-reliant to the greatest possible degree, self-possessed, courageous, generous, honorable and worthy of trust.  They are good for their words, taking responsibility for the things they say; the promises they make; the contracts into which they enter.  They hold skills of real value to the world and are unabashed to render service.  They are adult enough to judge and assess people, things, and situations for themselves and stand responsible for the choices they make pursuant thereto.  They own their errors and endeavor to learn from their mistakes.  They expect nothing from those who owe them nothing, but are always thankful for whatever kindness comes their way from the hands of a fellow, regardless of how seemingly meager.

The Warrior is a good man that anyone of reason and decency would eagerly accept as a friend.  A Warrior's path is arduous more than it is easy, and it is this precise circumstance that lends his good character, for no man of questionable composition would be likely to make so difficult a journey.

The question for every man who considers himself of reasonable character is whether he is up to the fatigues of the Warrior's journey.  When considering that at the end of it all, we all end up once again as the dust whence we came, it seems to me that the difficult path is the one to choose.  But as with everything else in life, the choice is yours to make for yourself.  May I gently suggest you choose carefully, for regret can be the bitterest of all things.

Be well, and until next time, please accept my best wishes.