Honor

I noticed a man's tattoo on the train to work this morning. I squinted to read it.

Surrounded by flames and written in cursive, it said, "Death Before Dishonor"

It reminded me how deeply rooted the idea of "honor" can be in so many cultures, how glamorized, how very paramount to existence. Perhaps it is one of the few things that separate humans from other animals: the engineering of reputation, the protection of ego, a lust for brands, the potential for warped depictions of loyalty.