Promises, promises…

Jeroen

It seems to me that at a certain point intelligence breaks free of pre-conditioned patterns of behaviour and starts asking “why exactly should I do certain things? What is in it for me?” For example the questions of honour and of keeping one’s word, honouring a promise, that is a very old pattern that goes back to ancient times, in the days when you determined whether a man could be trusted by the value of his word.

In a way keeping your word is a kind of personal code of honour, something you don’t really expect others to see in you, and it supersedes gain and loss, which are a merchants way of thinking, not a knight’s or an honourable man. I guess in some ways I am still a Medieval thinker, coming to ideas of romanticism or courtly love.

Yet even that seems to me a kind of shorthand for truly intelligent behaviour.

IdleChater

@Jeroen said:
It seems to me that at a certain point intelligence breaks free of pre-conditioned patterns of behaviour and starts asking “why exactly should I do certain things? What is in it for me?” For example the questions of honour and of keeping one’s word, honouring a promise, that is a very old pattern that goes back to ancient times, in the days when you determined whether a man could be trusted by the value of his word.

That isn't just ancient times, Jer. It's today.

Yet even that seems to me a kind of shorthand for truly intelligent behaviour.

There's a mouthful for ya!

Jeroen

@IdleChater said:
That isn't just ancient times, Jer. It's today.

Actually, it’s been a very long time since I’ve heard anyone talk of honour or honesty in a work or family environment. I used to work in an ordinary office and it was considered normal business for people to try to screw the company out of a settlement if they were leaving. And also for the company to try to screw them by withholding bonuses that were still informally due when leaving and so on.

People don’t seem to care about honour or their word anymore.

person

@Jeroen said:

@IdleChater said:
That isn't just ancient times, Jer. It's today.

Actually, it’s been a very long time since I’ve heard anyone talk of honour or honesty in a work or family environment. I used to work in an ordinary office and it was considered normal business for people to try to screw the company out of a settlement if they were leaving. And also for the company to try to screw them by withholding bonuses that were still informally due when leaving and so on.

People don’t seem to care about honour or their word anymore.

I've been in construction and remodeling most of my adult life. I used to feel sort of ashamed about having what I think is considered a low prestige job. Over the years I've known several people who have given up the corporate life for the trades including an engineer and a lawyer and are much happier and healthier for it. I hear these stories of the bad bosses and shitty coworkers and I've become very grateful for the peace and honesty of my work life. So much of my continued success depends quite directly on how much people trust and respect me and my work.

I also have a close relationship with my extended family, I spend half a dozen or more days a year with my aunts and uncles, cousins and their families. Some are city Democrats and some country Trumpers and time together is mostly love and laughter. And beer and food and the outdoors.

The more I hear stories about bad work and family life, the more I think what is wrong with the world. But my life says an honest and honorable environment is possible and I feel sad for the people who live somewhere else and ask myself why the difference?