On the Endurance of Honor

Honor is different from most of our principles because it implies the existence of a pact higher than that of a paid contract or a forgettable law that will lose its value and strength with the smallest amount of tension. The trivialization of these higher allegiances is praised by all regardless of status or wealth; it just cannot be allowed or comprehended because it is an issue for those who are accustomed to otherwise, the retention of pleasures, the view of the world being that these materials are an essence rather than a complement.