(368 posts)
Nov 30, 2009 9:08 am
Politeness is Power
Nice blog entry on one of the seven virtues of bushido, politeness, from Bushido: The Soul of Japan, by Inazo Nitobe. http://craikido.blogspot.com/2009/11/politeness-is-power-unexpected.html
A few excerpts:
Inazo Nitobe warns that Politeness, or "Rei", is a poor virtue if it is exercised merely out of fear of offending good taste or caring too much about what others think. Instead, Politeness should be "the outward manifestation of a sympathetic regard for the feelings of others." He continues, "In its highest form, politeness almost approaches love."
. . . . .
This attitude, this consciousness surrounding the virtue of Politeness is not limited to how one behaves or conducts oneself in the presence of others. Self-Politeness is as much a reflection of how one respects oneself as it does others. Good hygiene, proper dress and appearance, and being physically fit are all signs of how much – or whether or not – one respects oneself. That quality of self-respect spills over in the form of manners in how one treats others.
. . . . .
Politeness leads to gracefulness. Gracefulness leads to efficiency. Efficiency leads to power. Therefore, couldn’t one see how Politeness is a path to power?