Finished essay in the second direction.
In childhood and youth, did we really think about the meaning of the words “honest”, “honest”? More likely no than yes. More often we said the phrase “it’s not fair” if one of our peers acted badly towards us. This is where our relationship with the meaning of this word ended. But life more and more often reminds us that there are people who “have honor”, and there are those who are ready to sell their homeland to save their own skin. Where is the line that turns a person into a slave of his flesh and destroys the person in him? Why doesn’t that bell ring that the expert on all the dark corners wrote about? human soul Anton Pavlovich Chekhov? I ask myself these and other questions, among which one is still the main one: is honor really more valuable than life? To answer this question, I turn to literary works, because, according to academician D.S. Likhachev, literature is the main textbook of life, it (literature) helps us understand the characters of people, reveals eras, and on its pages we will find a great many examples of ups and downs human life. There I can find the answer to my main question.
I associate the fall and, what is even worse, betrayal with the Fisherman, the hero of V. Bykov’s story “Sotnikov”. Why did a strong man, who initially made only a positive impression, become a traitor? And Sotnikov... I had a strange impression of this hero: for some reason he irritated me, and the reason for this feeling was not his illness, but the fact that he constantly created problems while performing an important task. I openly admired the fisherman: what a resourceful, decisive and courageous person! I don't think he was trying to impress. And who is Sotnikov for him to go out of his way for him?! No. He was just a man and did human things until his life was in danger. But as soon as he tasted fear, it was as if he had been replaced: the instinct of self-preservation killed the man in him, and he sold his soul, and with it his honor. The betrayal of his homeland, the murder of Sotnikov, and an animal existence turned out to be more valuable than honor.
Analyzing Rybak’s action, I cannot help but ask myself the question: does it always happen that a person acts dishonorably if his life is in danger? Can he commit dishonest act for the benefit of another? And again I turn to literary work, this time to E. Zamyatin’s story “The Cave” about besieged Leningrad, where in a grotesque form the author talks about the survival of people in an ice cave, gradually driven into its smallest corner, where the center of the universe is a rusty and red-haired god, a cast-iron stove that consumed first firewood, then furniture, then... books. In one such corner, one person’s heart is torn with grief: Masha, Martin Martinich’s beloved wife, who has not gotten out of bed for a long time, is dying. This will happen tomorrow, and today she really wants it to be hot tomorrow, her birthday, and then she might be able to get out of bed. Warmth and a piece of bread became a symbol of life for cavemen. But there is neither one nor the other. But the neighbors on the floor below, the Obertyshevs, have them. They have everything, having lost their conscience and turned into females, into wraps.
...What won’t you do for your beloved wife?! The intelligent Martin Martinych goes to bow to the non-humans: there is hunger and heat, but the soul does not live there. And Martin Martinych, having received (kindly, with sympathy) a refusal, decides to take a desperate step: he steals firewood for Masha. Everything will happen tomorrow! God will dance, Masha will stand up, letters will be read - things that were impossible to burn. And he will... drink poison, because Martin Martinych will not be able to live with this sin. Why does this happen? The strong and courageous Rybak, who killed Sotnikov and betrayed his homeland, remained to live and serve the policemen, and the intelligent Martin Martinych, who, living in someone else’s apartment, did not dare to touch someone else’s furniture in order to survive, but was able to step over himself in order to save the person dear to him , dies.
Everything comes from a person and is focused on a person, and the main thing in him is a soul that is pure, honest and open to compassion and help. I can’t help but turn to one more example, because this hero of the story “Bread for the Dog” by V. Tendryakov is still a child. A ten-year-old boy, Tenkov, secretly from his parents fed the “kurkuls” - his enemies. Did the child risk his life? Yes, because he fed the enemies of the people. But his conscience did not allow him to eat calmly and in abundance what his mother put on the table. So the boy’s soul suffers. A little later, the hero, with his childish heart, will understand that a person can help a person, but who, in a terrible time of hunger, when people are dying on the road, will give bread for a dog. “Nobody,” logic dictates. “I,” the child’s soul understands. From people like this hero come the Sotnikovs, Vaskovs, Iskras and other heroes for whom honor is more valuable than life.
I have given only a few examples from the world of literature, proving that conscience has always, at all times, been and will be honored. It is this quality that will not allow a person to commit an act the price of which is loss of honor. Such heroes, in whose hearts there lives honesty, nobility, in works and in real life, fortunately, a lot.
What is honor? Can it be more valuable than life? According to Dahl, honor is “the inner moral dignity of a person, valor, honesty, nobility of soul and clear conscience.” What if without a dictionary? In my opinion, honor is life principles human beings based on high moral qualities. For those who have this, for whom his good name is very important, loss of honor worse than death. I think that living by honor means living in accordance with your conscience. Despite its still small life experience, I have repeatedly addressed this topic, because its relevance is undeniable.
Many perceive honor as more than just worthy behavior. It seems to me that for such people it is a duty to the Motherland, loyalty native land. Let's remember the work fiction, where this topic is revealed. Among them is N.V. Gogol’s story “Taras Bulba”. The author shows the life of the Cossacks in the Zaporozhye Sich, their struggle for independence. Special attention attracted by the images of Taras Bulba and his sons.
The old Cossack dreams that his children will be real warriors, loyal to their fatherland. But only Ostap, Taras’s eldest son, adopts his father’s life principles. For him, as well as for Bulba, honor is above all. To die for the Motherland and faith is a duty and obligation for heroes. A young Cossack, having been captured, bravely endures torture and does not ask for mercy from his tormentors. Taras Bulba also accepts a heroic death worthy of a Cossack. Thus, for father and son, faith and devotion to the Motherland is an honor that is dearer to them than life and which they defend to the very end.
Often people were faced with a choice - to live without honor or to die with honor. The story “The Fate of a Man” by M.A. Sholokhov convinces me of the correctness of this point of view. Andrey Sokolov, main character works - a simple Russian soldier. He is a true patriot who, in the face of death, did not deviate from his principles. Andrei was captured by the Nazis, escaped, but was caught and sent to work in a stone quarry. One day a prisoner inadvertently spoke about hard work. He was summoned to the camp authorities. There, one of the officers decided to mock the Russian soldier and invited him to drink to the German victory. Sokolov refused with dignity, although he knew that he could be killed for disobedience. But seeing with what determination the prisoner defended his honor, the Germans, as a sign of respect for a real soldier, gave him life. This act of the hero affirms the idea that even in the face of the threat of death one must maintain honor and dignity.
To summarize and reflect on this topic, I became convinced that you need to be responsible for your actions and actions, that in any situation you need to remain a man of honor and not lose your dignity. And those life principles that a person professes will help him in a difficult situation to choose life or dishonor. My thoughts are consonant with Shakespeare’s statement: “Honor is my life, they have grown into one, and losing honor is for me the same as losing life.”
Essay on the topic “Honor is more valuable than life” (Var 1)
Can a person have anything more valuable than honor? It seems that the answer is obvious and it is negative. But if you look at this issue from a special, more elevated angle. And what value does a life have that is overshadowed throughout its entire duration by dirty, base deeds? After all, it darkens not only the existence of those around him, but also the figure himself, who acts outside the boundaries of nobility, is turned into a “comrade” who does not shake hands, is lonely and rejected by society.
Honor is more valuable than life or what it means to live with dignity
Making mistakes in life situations is not only an integral property of human nature, but also an inevitable part of any, at least to some extent rich life active person. But errors can have varying degrees of severity. Some of them cause irreparable harm to the course of fate.
In any situation, the most important thing is to behave with dignity. Do not allow the manifestation of emotions and impulsiveness to aggravate the mistakes made and cast a shadow on your reputation. Much will be forgiven if a person has not sunk to complete dishonor.
You can lose everything, but at the same time not lose the respect of others while remaining within the generally accepted framework of nobility. This will always be appreciated by others.
Altered form of perception
Modern concepts of honor are radically different from those that were generally accepted 100-150 years ago. Nowadays, not every girl will even blink an eye when accused of dirty deeds. IN old times, even a hint of this could serve as suicide. A whole host of similar examples and comparisons can be given. U modern men there are even more reasons to worry about your honor if you reconcile them with the principles of the past. Perhaps quite a large part of the Earth's population should not exist.
But there are more and more of us. Because generally accepted principles are changing, and such lofty concepts as honor and nobility are simply devalued. not everyone even understands how to interpret them correctly.
So can a person have anything more valuable than life?
In the modern interpretation of the concepts, most likely not. but it’s still very important to go through this life path, for which there would be no shame and pain after the passage of time. Eliminate betrayal, disrespect for loved ones and other serious social offenses.
Honor is more valuable than life (Var 2)
Modern society resorts less and less to the concepts of honor. This is typical for the younger generation, which is brought up in different conditions. Now the world is ruled by self-interest and vanity. Those who manage to live by high moral principles are considered strange. People only think about how to get more money faster.
What is honor
A good reputation takes a long time to build. It cannot be achieved in one day. Will take a long time to demonstrate good qualities. In the process, a person develops, a cumulative characteristic is formed in him. Then the loss of honor is worse than death for him. It is better to give your life than to betray your views on life.
Crisis situations test people's strength. So during the Great Patriotic War many demonstrated their courage. Millions gave their lives because they were strong in their views and beliefs. People did not renounce their Motherland, even in captivity of the enemy. No one has forgotten the exploits of these heroes. Contemporaries can be proud.
Literary examples
Writers and poets often described the main characters in their works as people of honor. As an example we can take “ Captain's daughter" You can watch how a father sends his son to serve without resorting to his own connections. He wants Petrusha to experience officer’s valor himself. The father spoke the right words to his son, which confirmed his good intentions.
The young man will have to prove his morality. When faced with the choice to go over to the side of the enemy at the risk of his life, the young guy did not do it. This is the act of a truly highly moral person who surprised Pugachev.
It is not only war that shows people of honor. Every action reveals a person’s character and outlook on life. So even Pugachev helps save Masha, thereby demonstrating his positive qualities. The motive for his action was not self-interest. He simply could not allow the orphan girl to be harmed.
Honor does not depend on a person’s age, gender or amount of money in the account. This concept should be familiar to any highly moral person. You need to protect your honor. Clearing your reputation is very difficult.
Essays on other topics
“Honor is more valuable than life” (F. Schiller)
“Honor is conscience, but conscience is painfully sensitive. This is self-respect and dignity own life, brought to the extreme degree of purity and to the greatest passion.”
Alfred Victor de Vigny
Dictionary V.I. Dahl, defines honor and how “the inner moral dignity of a person, valor, honesty, nobility of soul and clear conscience.”Like dignity, the concept of honor reveals a person’s attitude towards himself and the attitude towards him from society. However, unlike the concept of dignity, moral value personality in the concept of honor is associated with a specific social status a person, the type of his activity and the moral merits recognized for him. But is honor a fundamental and vital property of a person, or is it something inherently inherent? There is the concept of “dishonest”, which defines a person without principles, that is, not responsible for his actions and following contrary general rules. But each person has his own moral norms and rules, which means honor is inherent in all people without exception. As Anton Pavlovich Chekhov said: “We all know what a dishonorable act is, but we don’t know what honor is.”You can talk about honor, dignity and conscience based on your own worldviews and experiences, but the concept of honor remains unchanged. “Honor is the same for women and men, girls, married women, old men and women: “don’t deceive,” “don’t steal,” “don’t get drunk”; Only from such rules, applicable to all people, is a code of “honor” formed in the true sense of the word” -Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky spoke. And if honor is inextricably linked with life, moreover, it is a component of existence, then can it be more valuable than life? Is it really possible to lose inner qualities just because of some “unworthy” act that will make life itself impossible? I think so. Honor and life are two interconnected and inseparable concepts that complement each other. After all, the place of “habitat” of these properties is the individual. What do the words of Michel Montaigne confirm? : “The worth and dignity of a man lies in his heart and in his will; it is here that the basis of his true honor lies.”Honor is not more expensive than life, but not cheaper either. It outlines the boundaries of what you can allow yourself and what kind of attitude you can tolerate from others. A synonym for this quality is conscience - the internal judge of the spiritual essence, its guide and beacon. And only everything together makes up a personality; everything depends on comprehensive development, because “...the principle of honor, although there is something that distinguishes man from animals, but in itself it does not contain anything that could put man above animals”- Arthur Schopenhauer. Another understanding of honor correlates with the current definition of reputation. This is how a person shows himself to other people in communication and business. IN in this case It is important not to “lose your dignity” in the eyes of other people, because few people will want to communicate with a rude person, do business with an unreliable person, or help a heartless miser in need. In general, the concepts of honor and conscience are very conditional, very subjective. They depend on the value system adopted in any country, in any circle. IN different countries, y different people conscience and honor have completely different interpretations and meanings. It is worth listening to the opinion of the famous British novelist George Bernard Shaw: “It’s better to try to be clean and bright: you are the window through which you look at the world.”conscience is dignity reputation Honor and conscience are one of the most important characteristics of the human soul. Compliance with the rules of honor gives a person peace of mind and live in accordance with your conscience. But no matter what, nothing should be more expensive than life, because life is the most precious thing a person has. And to take a life just because of any prejudices or principles is terrible and irreparable. Developing moral principles in yourself will help you avoid making an irreversible mistake. We must try to live in harmony with nature, society and ourselves.
495For whom even honor is a trifle, for him everything else is [insignificant].
Aristotle
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325The strong are not the best, but the honest ones. Honor and self-esteem are the strongest.
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311Honor cannot be taken away, it can be lost.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
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272Honor is more valuable than life.
Johann Friedrich Schiller
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266Honor is the diamond on the hand of virtue.
Voltaire
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255The honor is the same for everyone.
Laberius
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240Without the wealth of centuries, you will stagnate in place, But it’s worse if you have it - and there is no honor!
Pierre de Ronsard
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232Shame and honor are like a dress: the more shabby they are, the more careless you treat them.
Apuleius
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232Honor is courageous modesty.
Alfred de Vigny
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232I agree to endure any misfortune, But I will not agree for my honor to suffer.
Pierre Corneille
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230Whoever loses honor cannot lose anything beyond that.
Publilius Syrus
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229Objectively, honor is the opinion of others about our value, and subjectively, it is our fear of this opinion.
Arthur Schopenhauer
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227One of the main definitions of the principle of honor is that no one should, through his actions, give anyone an advantage over himself.
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227The honor of a person lies in the fact that, in relation to the satisfaction of his needs, he depends only on his hard work, on his behavior and on his intelligence.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
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224Shameful things are never useful.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
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223Honor is true beauty!
Romain Rolland
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221True honor is the decision to do, in all circumstances, what is useful to the most people.
Benjamin Franklin
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218We have no right to live when honor is lost.
Pierre Corneille
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217You cannot dishonor someone who is not afraid of death.
Jean Jacques Rousseau
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215Honor is external conscience, and conscience is internal honor.
Arthur Schopenhauer
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214The word of honor must be firm.
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210In matters of honor, language is unsuitable for Astrology.
Lope de Bega
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209Others exchange honor for honor.
Ahphonse Carr
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208Our honor is to follow the best and improve the worst, if it can still become more perfect.
Plato
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206Funny things do more damage to honor than dishonor itself.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
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205True honor cannot tolerate untruth.
Henry Fielding
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204Honor is nothing more than good opinion other people about us.
Bernard Mandeville
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201He who mixes precious stones and pearls with tin dishonors himself more than the pearls.
John of Damascus
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193Unbecoming honor is worse than insult.
Visakhadatta
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191To deprive another of his honor is to deprive him of his own.
Publilius Syrus
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188Gain honor neither by vanity, nor by the beauty of clothes or horses, nor by adornment, but by courage and wisdom.
Theophrastus
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185Honor is the reward given for virtue.
Aristotle
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181I prefer death to dishonor.
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181Where can you find someone who would put the honor of a friend above his own?
Cicero
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176It’s worse to change honor than to be in torn rags!
Robert Berne
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169Honor is the same for women and men, girls, married women, old men and women: “don’t deceive”, “don’t steal”, “don’t get drunk”, only from such rules that apply to all people is a code of “honor” made up in the true sense of the word.
Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky
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168Honor disappears - the formula of honor remains, which is tantamount to the death of honor.
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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165Objectively, honor is the opinion of others about our dignity, and subjectively it is our fear of this opinion.
Arthur Schopenhauer
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165Being liked by noble people is not the last honor.
Horace
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164Honor is conscience, but conscience is painfully sensitive. This is respect for oneself and for the dignity of one's own life, brought to the extreme degree of purity and to the greatest passion.
Alfred Victor de Vigny
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163The honor of a man is so different from the honor of women that the latter views the former as its enemy.
Edmond Pierre Beauchaine
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161To each, posterity gives its honor.
Tacitus
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160Freedom, kingdom, and happiness were found by the One who chose during his lifetime the aura of High honor and immortal glory.
Lope de Bega
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151The opposite of honor is dishonor, or shame, which consists of the bad opinion and contempt of others.
Bernard Mandeville
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149Men have one honor, so many lovers! Love is easy to forget, but honor cannot be forgotten.
Pierre Corneille
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139Honor is the poetry of duty.
Alfred Victor de Vigny
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124While we are burning with freedom, While our hearts are alive for honor, My friend, let us dedicate our Souls to our homeland with wonderful impulses!
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin
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72Honor is like a precious stone: the slightest spot takes away its shine and robs it of all its value.
Pierre Edmond Beauchaine
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68Honor is something that is in short supply these days...
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64All the thieves and murderers of the world together talk about conscience and honor: They, they say, do not give them peace, But if you turn away, they will rob and kill! Tell me, what is honor and what can you eat it with today? Or maybe they will forgive me, an ignoramus, They wear it on the body like clothing? Tell me, since it’s not a secret, What, honor has taste, volume and color? Or maybe someone knows its value? Then welcome to the stage! I directly declare in front of the people, That there is no honor - or rather, it is not in fashion, And now we need this chimera, Like Zeiss binoculars for Homer!
Leonid Filatov
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46...They fear me because I am angry, cold and cheerful, That I do not serve anyone, That I weighed my life and honor On Pushkin’s scales, and I dare to prefer honor.
Vladimir Nabokov
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41Honor rarely exists where there is glory, and even more rarely does glory exist where there is honor.
Johann Gottfried Seime
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41That woman is not good, whose soul does not belong to both at once - that is, together to both her body and her honor.
Godfrey of Strasbourg
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39Do not love villainy, flattery, drive away the love of money, sacrifice everything and life - honor, devoting all your days to it...
Alexander Sumarokov
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