Delphic Maxim #22

Maxim #22 – Pursue Honor

One of the definitions of honor is: high moral standards of behavior.

If we don't have honor, we don't have integrity.

The American Declaration of Independence ended with the words:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Does our modern materialistic world reflect much honor? Do we as a culture regard honor as worthy of pursuit in our daily lives?

I think we are lacking a major value that is essential for a healthy, free, and prosperous world. We cannot ignore the need for honor in all we do.

The 147 Delphic Maxims [as cited by Stobaeus] are ancient guidelines and advice for living a proper and happy life. They are enduring and eternal in many aspects, although one must consider the times in which they were written and adapt the language accordingly.  

They remain an important legacy of human history and continue to provide wisdom for the ages. The maxims live because they have been preserved, reiterated, and reinterpreted throughout the oral and written traditions of the Hellenic world – not as absolutes, but as living guidance.

Stobaeus was a Greek writer from about 500 A.D. Clearly a well-read scholar in his day, he managed to safeguard much of the prose and poetry of ancient Greece. To him we owe a great debt.

Download all the Delphic Maxims in a colorful PDF – click here.