“A man’s got to have a code.” - David Simon

I had a conversation with a friend of mine recently about the historic warrior codes such as bushido and chivalry. He was of the opinion, not unwarranted, that even when these codes existed historically, which was never to the extent popular culture would have us believe, they were more a justification for a warrior’s behavior than any sort of actual higher moral code. 

There is certainly some truth to this. Much of what we think of regarding historical warrior codes is pure fiction. Inazo Nitobe’s seminal work on bushido was written after the samurai class had been abolished by the Meiji restoration. The tales of Arthur’s knights describe a Camelot, and a chivalric culture, that never actually existed. And certainly atrocities in wartime have been committed, and justified in self-serving hypocritical ways, by every warrior culture that’s ever been. 

But there are many examples at least of codes of conduct espoused by warrior groups. The Ranger Creed springs to mind, as does the actual historic codes of chivalry and bushido. The most cynical interpretation of these, beyond mere justification for preying on the weak, is one I’ve held myself at times. This viewpoint, that these codes of conduct are simply mechanisms of control so that the politically powerful can use the warrior class to further their goals, is one that absolutely has some truth to it as well. 

However, there is another side to them. My friend also is of the opinion that successful warriors trend towards some degree of high-functioning sociopathy. If I’m honest with myself, I see the unpleasant truth in this. I’ve spent my entire life in the American warrior class at an elite level, and more of us lack normal levels of empathy than I’d like to admit. 

Adopting a code of conduct, and holding yourself to it, helps control our darker selves. I believe that being a good person is in many ways a conscious choice, and it’s one that needs to be made over and over again. Having a well defined moral code to follow gives us a framework to use to make that reoccurring conscious choice correctly when it’s difficult to do so. The correctness of that framework, the accuracy of that code is an issue as well obviously, and worth discussing in its own right, but that is a topic for a separate discussion.

Find your warrior’s code, find that moral framework. Use it to help yourself make that conscious decision to be a good and honorable person, and make it over and over again as often as you need to amidst the myriad temptations of life. Follow your code of honor always…