Duty, Honor, Country: the Definition of Honor and Responsibility

Everyone has heard about responsibility. We all know that some people are responsible, others are irresponsible. Each of us at least once in a lifetime has heard such a phrase “You’re so irresponsible!” or “You don’t have a sense of responsibility!” and so on. But what does it mean? Not everyone understands the meaning of the words, “responsibility” and “responsible/irresponsible.” Though, I see responsibility resemble much of the values and principles held by duty.

Responsibility refers to a person’s ability to respond to his or her actions by facing certain consequences of the actions that may occur.

Oxford dictionary defines responsibility as the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone. I disagree with that definition, for responsibility is something every person should cultivate in themselves. It should become a part of one’s personality. Lack of such a trait of personality or even its absence was and is never considered to be a positive feature. Because when you are responsible, it is easier to gain the respect of the people and to take a decent place in society.

The definition of honor is high regard or respect; personal integrity; reputation; privilege (Webster’s Dictionary). Honor shapes lives everyday, and holds the family, community, and country together. Honor may also apply to the recognition of one’s right to great respect or to any expression of such recognition. In some situations, it implies the profound respect associated with love and devotion. There is priceless respect that everyone in the world has, and that is the respect of a person’s honor. This respect cannot be bought, sold, or traded. It must be gained by your peers.

In my view, honor has its home in an honor group, composed of those who accept a set of principles (the honor code), recognize those others who do likewise and have a sense of loyalty to the group. The level of honor you earn defines you. It’s extremely important to anyone who holds respect, trustworthiness, reliability, and moral value. To be judged honorable by that group, you must embrace those conditions. Then, what’s the importance of belonging to an honor group? One is a sense of belonging to a group of people you respect and who respect you. Another is a principle-based character, whose virtues do not waver in the permutations of life. A third is a sense of meaning and self-worth. Those are all important values, and therefore, so is honor.

My “country” refers to what I’ve done for the community. This could includes: local tidy-ups, volunteering, donations, fundraisers, and many more. My contribution to my neighborhood was volunteering. Volunteering, as I see it, is described as an unpaid endeavor where someone sacrifices their time to support a non-profit organization or an individual. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and create a better place. Even helping out with the simplest and smallest tasks can make a real difference in the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need. A helping hand makes all the better. Volunteering also strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities. Helping others kindles happiness, thus, making you a better citizen, motivating others to do so as well.

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