Japan Book Club: Bushido: The Soul of Japan – Part 4
I’m sure we’re all living our lives better now than we were a few weeks ago thanks to what we’ve learned about the samurai code. This week we’ll strive to make you even better human beings – or at least to help you learn a little more about Japanese culture and mindset.
We’ll read three more chapters of Bushido: Soul of Japan this week – Politeness, Veracity, and Honor. I know a lot of people have had a hard time understanding parts of the book, but I’ve found as I’ve read that it seems to be getting easier the further I get. Maybe I’m understanding it better, maybe I’ve started to “get” the way this author explains things, or maybe I’m super smart. You decide.
Whichever it is, read those three chapters and answer the series of questions below.
If you are confused by the questions or can’t figure out the answers, you may post questions to the teachers and other students in the comments section here. This is a tough book, so let’s be sure to help one another understand it.
- Why is politeness an important attribute of a samurai?
- Which is more important, to tell the truth or to be polite? Why?
- In your own words, what is honor?
Every student in our Japan group is required to participate. You must comment on this post with your thoughts, then come back and comment on what other people have said – you are required to make an effort to keep the conversation going by replying to at least 2 other students (more than just “I agree” or “you are right.” Give them reasons why you agree/disagree or what they said that was meaningful – make this a discussion).
Minooka TAP 
1)Politeness is an important attribute of samurai because it goes hand in hand with other virtues. As the book stated, “In its highest form, politeness almost approaches love.” Samurai performed it previously and now the book calls it “counterfeit” because instead of being acted on through respect, it is acted on from fear.
2)In the eyes of the Japanese, politeness would always take priority over the truth. This can be misleading though because they will not lie in order to be polite. The book refers to it as a “deception by sweet words.” They also say we put to much weight on the word falsehood, that it simply means to us “which is not a truth or fact.”
3) Honor, I think, is one’s fame, glory, and/or respect. It is what is shot down when someone insults you. It is what sky rockets when you complete a great accomplishment.
I love the references you added to show proof of you words, it helps show that you have read the book.
I have to disagree with how you defined honor in your own words. I think the word that better fits the discription that you are giving is reputation. Honor has little to do with fame or glory in my opinion as much as it has to do with uphloding your moral standards. I don’t think that honor is damaged when someone insults you. Honor is damaged when someone does not trust your morals or when you do something to show you have lost or do not have morals.
I like the refrences you used from the book it helps give your answer an extra boost and gives them a better appeal.
I agree with Persephone. Your honor does go down with you when you are insulted. But your honor also rises when you do something great for someone, something, and/or your community.
Persephone, let me ask you: how does one recieve this respect? Fame means nothing if it is not of worth. Take Selena Gomez for example. All she’s done is sung and acted. There is no true respect in that. No notablity. Then we have Albert Einstein. He actually was of importance. Without him, we were be nowhere near today without his intelect and his therorys. Albert’s work is honerable, while Selena’s is seen as nothing but a passing trend.
But Austin let me ask you this, is there any wrong doing in giving entertainment?
Is there no wrong in the substance of which Albert Einstiein was not to seem of any importance as a child.
Did you know he got kicked out of high school for asking questions and to the administration he was of no importance jus another delinquint, am I wrong?
Now you see Selena maybe doesn’t see the value in life or maybe she does but you see a song is a story and if you actually listen to the lyrics in any song she or any other artist has they have meaning.
Whether good or bad songs impact a persons life her song could save a life, and to that person she is significant to.
To them she is of importance, but i guess its how you look at it.
You don’t have to contribute to the world to be of importance.
Its those who do who get all the credibility.
I don’t get what the author means when he says, “In its highest form, politeness almost approaches love.”
Okay, I think I made a mistake in trying to explain honor. I agree with both Conrad and Austin. It’s just a tad bit hard to put something like that into words.
1) Politeness is an important attribute of the samurai because it is according to the book “the ripest fruit of social intercource.” This relates back to how Bushido is a code of ethics. Bushido is how samurai warriors were supposed to conduct themselves. Politeness is exactly a quality that one would need in a code of ethics.
2) Most Japaneese people would resond that it is more important to to be polite, for most respond that it is better to tell a falsehood than to be impolite. But, the Japaneese also maintain that it not good to sacrafice truth for politeness
3) In my own words, honor is respect for yourself, and respect for moral values. Honor is used to gauge how trustworthy you are. When your honor is damaged, it means that someone does not turst your respect for moral values.
I like your opinion on honor, and I agree when your honest is damaged, it means someone doesn’t believe in your faith of moral values
I like the metaphor the author uses when he compares politeness and a ripe fruit. Without politeness, most people would not enjoy your presence in the social world.
I enjoyed reading the quote you incorporated into your answer but it makes me think of fruit more then something perfect.
I think your description of honor is very well written. It explains it well and I agree with the fact that “When your honor is damaged, it means that someone does not turst your respect for moral values.”
1. Politeness is an important attribute to a samurai, because it is equivalent with the other virtues.
2. Polite is more important to the Japanese, because even though telling the truth is good, they will lie instead of be impolite.
3.In my opinion, honor is the respectfulness of your and everybody and to trust them and even yourself sometimes.
I also have something to add onto the end of the answer to question number two. It is to be noted that the author also says that even though it is more important in Japan to be polite, he also says that no one would lie to be polite. Lying to be polite is known by the author as “deception by sweet words.”
As I reread the passage from the book that your quote is from, I guess I skimmed over that part at one point and maybe I should reread that chapter tor refresh myself.
I don’t think that the way samuria chose politeness over the truth is a good thing. I think that it would be more honorable to tell the truth and be a bit impolite than lie and be polite.
I know that i would rather have somebody lie to me and be polite than be truthful and really hurt me emotionaly
Shane, I know it is your opinion, but by you saying this, you prefer not to grow up as a person. Only by knowing the truth, your flaws, and insurecurities do you learn and mature. The way you mature is by how you improve yourself in mind and soul and erasing these problems.
this is sooo true… i agree so much.. being truthful helps me because noone is perfect.
Austin is right Shane words should never hurt you or destroy your confidence. You see Shane you know when your selfesteem is strong when you can take in the truth. Lies won’t help you achieve in life but the truth will help to make you better. Criticism is hard to take but someone lying to your face is even harder to overcome and harder to forgive. Them lying won’t help you. And Austin you can’t necessarily erase the past because in the back of your mind you have that memory. The past will always be but we have to try our best to move forward and make the future positive because the future will always come ( well until that time when you go upstairs) but the past will never change
1. Politeness is important samurai because manners are very important to a samuria and the act of politeness spills into all of the catageroies of manners which also makes it as important of all the other virtues of a samuria.
2. A samuria would lie instead of being impolite becasue they would rather tell a lie and be polite than tell the truth and be impolite.
3. To me honor is being able to be thruthful to your self and every thing else.
1. Politeness is important samurai because manners are very important to a samurai and the act of politeness spills into all of the categories of manners which also make it as important of all the other virtues of a samurai.
2. A samurai would lie instead of being impolite because they would rather tell a lie and be polite than tell the truth and be impolite.
3. To me honor is being able to be truthful to yourself and everything else.
I would definatley rather have someone tell me the truth than lie to me, but it is just the opposite to the Japanese. Though, sparing someone’s feelings could really be better than causing them emotional damage.
1.) Politeness is an important attribute to a samurai because it one of the many virtues samurais are to follow. The virtues are like a code of conduct or what they are expected to do and the book even says that ” While thus extolling Politeness, far be it from me to put it in the front rank of virtues. If we analyze it, we shall
find it correlated with other virtues of a higher order; for what virtue stands alone?” this shows that it is one of the higher and more important virtues needed to be followed. Also that preforming the higher virtues like politeness, is the way they are always to follow and the way they are to conduct themselves in.
2.) I think that the Japanese feel that it is both important to be polite due to the fact that it is one of the important and higher virtues but they both seem equal in importance because telling a lie to be polite was impolite itself. For example it is described as ” To sacrifice truth merely for the sake of politeness was regarded as an “empty form” because it seems as your not being candid.
3.) Honor is the respect and glory someone earns from an act, position or something they are involved in like a war. Can be something given in your honor or the respect many people give to you.
I do think that Politeness was slightly preferred, though I agree when you say that politeness should not be obtained by lying.
This is why being able to twist words and make them sound like it’s a complament when really you just said “You’re fat.” is a needed.
1. Politeness is an important attribute for a samurai to have because it goes hand in hand with the other virtues of samurai. It is very important in society to be polite, and most Japanese share it. It correlates with all the other virtues a samurai must have.
2. Politeness is preferred over the truth in the eyes of the Japanese. While it is still important to be truthful, it is considered disgraceful if the truth you tell is impolite. Falsehoods being told are okay if politeness will stay intact.
3. Honor, in my words, is your respect for yourself, other people in your life, and everything around you. It measures how truthful you are, and can either rise or fall as a result of all your actions.
I completely agree with you on what honor is. It really speaks to me as respecting mostly yourself and important values.
I agree with both of you, that is what honor is. But in order to respect(honor) anyone else, you have to respect yourself first.
Yeah, then once you have your own self respect, you can start respecting others.
if you dont know how to respect your self can you even respect someone else? you would be lost in your self not knowing what to do.
1. Politeness is an important attribute to a samurai, because it is equivalent with the other virtues.
2. Being polite is more important because Japaneese people would rather have you lie and be polite, than tell the truth and hurt somebody”s feelings
3. Honor simple means to keep your word, to be trustorthy, always do the right thing even if it tough to do. Always always always show respect to other animals, people, and objects
I liked it how you said that honor is respect for all things, even animals and objects
So when they see a Happy Meal from McDonald’s, they honor the back breaking work out into making that delicious and nutrisious meal??
It says in the book that politeness is more important but it also said they wouldn’t lie just to be polite. It was specifically said in the lines “deception by sweet words.”
I agree with you Shane because nobody likes to get their feeling hurt. The Japenese want to be polite and nice to others. I belive that when you are polite and nice to people it gives them a lot of confidence and maybe makes their day.
1. Politeness is an important attribute for a samurai because it is intertwined with the other virtues. It is very important to bo polite in society, and to know when to use it. Being polite can sometimes help you befriend people.
2. Being polite is more important than telling the truth because the Japanese do not want to hurt somebody’s feelings. They would rather have you lie and still be friends with someone, rather than tell the truth and potentally not be friends anymore.
3. In my opinion, honor is having pride in yourself or somebody else for the valant actions they have done. Having honor means people respect and look up to you and try to follow your actions so that they too can do the right things.
I totally agree about your paragraph on honor, this is the perfect definition .
I gree with you Ben on how you stated honor is having pride for yourself or someone else. People who recive honor do good acts, and it influences others to do good also.
1. Politeness is an important attribute to a samurai because it goes along with other virtues.
2. Being polite is better than telling the truth because lying and being polite is better than telling the truth and be impolite.
3. to me honor is respecting your moral values and princibles.
i agree, politeness is important to them because it is one of the many virtues they are meant to have
1. Politness is important to a samurai because it goes hand in hand with the other samurai virtues.
2. To Japanese, politness is the alpha to telling the truth mainly because the truth can be very impolite and hurt people.
3. To me, honor is the respect you have for yourself and others. Also, it is to respect your prioritized morals and values.
I really like how the samurai would much rather lie to be polite, than to tell the truth and be impolite. In a way it kind of reminds me of being empathetic.
1. Politeness goes hand in hand with other virtues of the samurai.
2. To the Japanese, politeness is higher in social things from the truth, due to the truth being considered impolite.
3. for me, Honor respects you, your family, your virtues, and your morality as a whole.
I liked it how you included one’s morality in honor. I also liked it how you included your family in their as well.
Politeness was important for the samurai because not only did it intertwined into the other aspects and vitures of the samurai, but it was the base of all socal workings of today (As the book puts it, “ripest fruit of social intercourse”). The Japanese prefer the usage of being polite instead of telling the truth because the truth hurts and is considered wrong. Finally, honor, in my own words, is something of respectfor somone’s deeds that show purity in one and is notable through out the ages (A good reference for honor is the recent Puss ‘n Boots movie, as Puss gains his honor for saving his home town from a giant goose and replenishing the town’s funds forever [Watch the Movie, it will make much more sense]).
1. Politeness was important to the samuri because to them it was the basic everyday workings of life its important to them in social skills that also counteracts with America too even though we are a bunch arrogant ingnorant fools who don’t kindness if it slapped us in the face and said I’m KINDENESS.
2.Politeness is seeked over the truth to the Japanese. Telling the truth will not set you free more like the truth will get you beat. They are very humble people they found their zen and have become one learning to appreciate everyhting and everybody. So if your comment is true but its rude well kick it out the window as Americans we probably would be ignorant and speak our mind before we think about what the outcome could be to that. They are more cognicent of others feelings. Sparing ones feelings is a sign that you care versus here telling the truthbis the sign that you care.
3. In my own words honor is ones credible achievements. Honor is something that shows someones character and their true colors. Like if Barack Obama was just the president and didn’t do squat for our country or his home state (Illinois baby) i wouldn’t give the credit let alone the honor oof being my president but he does care about politics and he has done credible things to make him worthy of receiving praise. ( for all you haters who don’t think hes done stuff george bush put us in this mess with 8 years (the constitution gave permission and knuckle heads reelected him) and he put us in war let me make you president and you try to get out of that 8 year mess in 4 years watch me lauugh if you fail come on have some sympathy!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
This helped me understand these questions way more than i did before, i loved your point of view !
I like your way of looking at this Nailah, it was an interesting P.O.V. with which i agree.
I like the way you think honor is a source of credit, I didn’t think of that.
1. Politeness is important to the samurai because it helped them treat eachother fair and equal and it was a big attribute to their every day lives.
2. Politeness is liked more than the truth in Japan. If people like what they hear and its a lie then you should be fine. If its the truth and they dont like it, you will most likely have a consequence.
3. Honor is something that everyone should give and recieve. It is something that lets someone show their true colors. Everyone deserves a little bit of honor.
1. Politeness was/is important to samurai, because it was a fair and equal treatment o all.
2. Politeness was above the truth. It’s kind of the same thing anywhere, people dont care what you say, unless it’s what they want to hear.
3.Honor shows everyone how you really are. It is much like respect. To have it, you must earn it.
before reading, I never thought that honor had to be earned, I always thought that the word was a synonym for privilege. Now I think it means much more now, especially to the Japanese
I agree with you, honor is much more important to the Japenese than we would think.
The Japanese are on a whole another scale when it comes to honor than we are, it seems.
1) Politeness is an important attribute for samurai to have because it went along with all of the other virtues that the samurai had/have. People in Japan still use this attribute, like Mr.Krush said at that one meeting that it is expected of someone not to talk on the phone in public.
2) Politeness is seen as more important than truth is the eyes of the Japanese. For them it is okay to lie if what you say is still polite to the person.
3) To me honor shows who you are and what you believe in. It shows what respect you have for the people in your life and other things that you like to do.
I honestly would rather be told the truth instead of being lied to, but i guess the Japanese have would rather not do that. I do see why they would believe that, though. It does make sense how they would want nice things said about them.
I like how you described ‘honor’. To be ‘who you are’ isn’t what a lot of people think of as honor, but I really like thinking of it that way.
1) Politeness is important to samurai because it went together with all of the other virtues of the samurai. According to the book, it is the “ripest fruit of social intercourse”.
2) To the Japanese, being polite is more important than telling the truth. Even if they have to lie, it is okay if they act polite.
3) In my words, having honor means you have respect and have public confidence. It also has to do with your beliefs. You should be honored if others respect your beliefs.
1.) Politness is important to a samurai because it goes hand in hand with the other samurai virtues.
2.) Being polite is more important because Japaneese people would rather have you lie and be polite, than tell the truth and hurt somebody’s feelings.
3.) In my own words having honor is like having high respect, honesty, fairness, and even integrity in one’s beliefs and actions.
I like how the samurai use being polite over telling the truth so nobody can get their feelings hurt but even lieing can hurt their feelings even more.
Why cant you be both? Cant you tell the truth in polite way? Thats what i do because i wouldnt want to hurt somones feelings but i wouldnt want to lie.
1. Politness is important to samurai because it is fair and equal treatment to eveyone. And it goes along with other samurai virtues.
2. The samurai would always be polite than truthful because if they had a reason to lie, they would rather be polite than be impolite and tell the truth.
3. Honor is having a great amount of politness, truthfulness, and respect for someone. It is also your own self confidence when dealing with your beliefs and other people in your life.
I would, honestly, tell the truth, because lying will end up hurting in the long run.
That is not the Samurai way Elise!
1. politeness is important for samurais because it is the same in value as the other virtues.
2. Being polite is more important than telling the truth because they do not want to hurt anyone… They would rather have you not tell the truth and be friends than tell the truth and hurt them.
3.honor, is when you are proud, confident and very into something… and you wear/use it as if it is the best thing ever.
yea agree, the truth can hurt and at least being polite you can, at very least, make someones day better.
1. Politeness is important to samurais because it is the same in value as the other virtues.
2. Being polite is more important because they would rather not tell the truth and be polite than lie and be inpolite.
3. Honor is when you feel successful for doing something right and you make it seem like your the best thing in the world for doing it.
1. Patience goes along with other samurai virtues, and is very important in Japan.
2. Politeness is more important in the Japanese culture. They believe that whether you tell the truth or not, you must be polite, even if it means telling a lie.
3. Honor is hard to describe, for there are so many different explanations. It is feeling somewhat successful, or proud of yourself for doing the right thing. Some people can get cocky with it, though.
I agree that some people can get cocky with honor and have too much pride for themselves which could obviously be bad.
i belive that if someone gets cocky with honor and brags about it they have no real honor, because honor is something that needs to be earned and not just something somebody says you have because you have to show it as well.
Yes Kevin I agree with you if someone has to much honor it actually isn’t honor any more.
1.) Politeness is important to a samurai because it goes hand in hand with the other samurai virtues.
2.) To tell the truth because by telling the truth your being polite. Or, you can say that being polite is more important because in order to be polite, you must tell the truth.
3.) Honor is when your respect yourself, and others realize it making them respect you.
1. Politeness is an important attribute to a samurai because it is fair treatment to everyone and goes hand in hand with other samurai virtues
2. According to the samurai, being polite would be more important than being truthful because if they were to lie, it would be alright to be polite and lie than tell the truth and hurt another person’s feelings.
3. Honor is when you have strong character and strength and feel successful and proud for doing something right. It is also a sense of pride respect especially for the Japanese.
i agree with your discription of honor. you described it very well.
1)Politeness is an important attribute becasue it goes hand in hand with the other virutes of a samurai. But if you also think about, samurai were hiried. I know I’d rather hire the guy who’s more polite to me, rather than the butthead who isn’t.
2) It’s more important to tell the thruth rather than lieing and being polite. Lie is heavily frowned apond by samuria and it can lead to dishonor.
3) Honor is burning sensation(pirde) one gets when they done the right thing. Honor brings smiling faces to you. Honor is very important to Japan.
1. Politness is important to a samurai because samurai are supose to have maners and politness gose along with that.
2. i think they are both the most importent for an example you should always be true to your self how ever you should be polite to someone and tell them a lie insted of being rude if it comes down to it.
3. i belive honor is alot of things. one tthing i think is honor should be erned it should’t just be some thing you are born into. i think if someone says you are honorable it should mean that you are trust worthy, kind, reliable, careing, and loveing to all the people that are around you even if they aren’t to you. because if some one isn’t your friend dosen’t mean that you can’t be theirs.
1. politness is both important to the leader of samurais and as well as the undervalued ones. corporations by virtue of the fluid and often complex hierachical structure create a pyramid of daily social interactions.
2. its more important to be truthful, even though some things may contain hurt and not politness but its being honest as well.
3. i belive that honor is high respect,and a feeling of sucessfullnes.
1- Politeness is an important attribiute of the samurai because it is one of the virtues, it as the equal amount of value as all of the other virtues.
2- To the Japenese being polite is more important than the truth. This is because tha Japenese would tell someone a lie rather than be inpolite, so they could maintain a good relationship with the other person.
3- Honor, to me, is when you are epected by others and yourself. People look up to you, they want to have the same lifestyle as you. Honor can be given to those who do good deeds, do well overall in a feild of work, etc. Honor gives people satification to those who earn it, and they use it in great ways.
1)Politeness is important to the samurai because it helped them treat each other fair and equal and it was a big attribute to their every day lives`
2) I think you should always tell the truth however, the truth hurts at times. So if i were to choose i would rather be polite than to hurt someone with the truth.
3) Honor, to me ,is great respect for a person.But to be honorable you must be trusworthy ,have intregity and be honest.
I agree with your explanation of politeness it is right to tell the truth always, but on some occasions you have to lie to save a relationship with another person.