Akhenaton Quote "Honor Is the

Akhenaton Quote "Honor is the inner garment of the Soul; the first thing put on by it with the flesh, and the last it layeth down at its separation from it." Akhenaton The meaning of this quote is that our true moral convictions, those which we would rather die than compromise, define our being. The idea is significant for several reasons. First, Akhenaton is often credited with being the first individual in our civilization.

To the extent that this is so, it would be because he is the first to stand apart from the norms and mores held by the world at large. Akhenaton was the first Egyptian deity known to disclaim polytheism in favor of monotheism. His views were not widely accepted at the time, but he held firm in them. His belief in monotheism came to define Akhenaton because it was his most sacred value. (Freud 1939). He could not part with it and still be himself.

His conviction to his innermost value and belief was his honor. This was the honor that was for and with himself, not for others. The honor referred to by Akhenaton in this quote is not necessarily that of being honest in tongue and action with his fellows. Nor is honor in this context the measure of esteem placed upon one's shoulders by society or the ability to stand tall against an injustice or the oppressed.

All of are examples of honor in its various contexts, many of which have direct application to Akhenaton's quote. But the essence of his quote, the context in which the quote was first uttered reflects only the inner workings of a person's battle against his own psyche. There is in fact a remarkable simplicity to it. This quote has tremendous relevance in today's world.

In modern life pressures and difficulties appear at all times of day and from a multitude of sources: people we know and care for, people we know and do not care for and people we do not know. We are exposed to many different people and so many different situations in any given day, often it is hard to remember every encounter we had with other people even hours before.

In the struggle to win the battle of life for a given day in modern society, it is all too easy to compromise out own core values and beliefs for the sake of convenience, in the name of expedience or because protecting these values does not rank high enough on or priorities. Akhenaton would cringe at this. Although he lived in a much simpler time, as the ruler of the then-largest nation state on the planet, he assuredly had his share of stressful moments during the course of the day.

But he would not divest himself of himself. We would all do well to incorporate this sense of inner conviction. Of course, this requires some inward reflection and perhaps mediation to identify and determine our core beliefs and values. The quote is closely aligned with the famous quote by French philosopher and mathematician Rene Descartes, Cogito ergo sum. Translated from Latin, this quote means: I think therefore I am.

Descartes wanted to prove his own existence in the face of fallible senses and he determined that if any thought, even that of doubt as to his own existence had to prove his existence because that thought had to be thought by somebody. There are relevant similarities and differences with these two quotes. The similarities relate to our relationships with our inner selves. Both the honor contemplated by Akhenaton and the thoughts referenced by Descartes come completely from within our own consciousness.

That is to say, thinking and defining our core values are both the result of conscious acts (they are not instinctive like breathing or subconscious like dreaming) and they are both innately personal to us. Thus both quotes attempt to join our conscious selves with our innate, inner selves. The difference between the two involves the motivation behind each quote. Descartes' quote seeks to justify man's individual existence.

According to Descartes, without our thoughts, and the consequential proof that we exist, how we can believe in ourselves? Of even more import, without our thoughts to prove what are senses are perceiving, Descartes wondered how one could prove the existence of God. Akhenaton was not looking to prove that man (or God) existed. Rather, he was wanted to articulate how one measure's their basic inner worth.

In spite of all factors of wealth, freedom and status, how much are you worth to you? The conviction to one's beliefs belies the answer. The Akhenaton quote assumes that the individual has been introspective. He does not ask that we define honor, he has done for this us. Akhenaton demands that each person identify within themselves what values and beliefs they cherish most, how these beliefs are manifested in the physical world and then to defend these beliefs with all the vigor and determination they can muster.

This sentiment is reinforced by a separate Akhenaton quote: "Be thou incapable of change in that which is right, and men will rely upon thee. Establish unto thyself principles of action; and see that thou ever act according.