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Chivalry

When I first think of chivalry, I think of knights and dragons and damsels in distress. It's not really something that I associate with the society that we live in today. You've heard it before, chivalry is dead. But I don't really believe that. It's too final, it doesn't leave any room for us to be better people again. Chivalry isn't dead, it's napping. And I think it's time for us to wake it up.

To me, chivalry isn't just about brave knights coming to rescue helpless princesses. It's having the courage to always do what you know is right, regardless of what happens or what other people think. And it isn't only about the big things in life, it's also about the little choices we make everyday. Countless times during the course of a day, people are faced with situations where they are forced to choose between doing the right thing and the wrong thing. More often than not, there is a middle choice, it's not quite wrong, but it isn't exactly right either. Chances are, this middle choice will be easier and more tempting. Chivalry is doing the right thing just because you know it's right.

Chivalry is holding the door open for old people and people with babies. It's loaning your favorite skirt to your best friend for that big party even though you know she's going to spill something on it. Chivalry is being the best person that you can be at all times. It's totally idealistic and as such unreachable. We will never be perfect, but we can always be better today than we were yesterday.

I was at this website the other day and (I forgot to write down the address, and I'm not entirely sure if this is accurate, but it works so let's just go with it) I was reading about the virtues that were considered chivalrous by knights and kings and what have you back in the day. It said that they figured the five key virtues of chivalry were honor, loyalty, courage,...