Show your friend eloquence through word and deed, and your enemy savagery through axe and sword. The Havamal
Too many people take their friends and family for granted. This is easy to do after you get comfortable with someone and have them around for a while. You start to forget that these are the most cherished people in your life and should be treated with even more respect than some stranger who you will most likely never see again, and couldn’t care less about you.
Instead of treating your friends with less courtesy, you should treat them with more. Be relaxed and at ease with them, but at the same time, don’t forget your manners. Treat them as if they are one of your most trusted advisors, because they are. Treat them as if they are an honored guest. Treat them with great respect and honor.
When you do this, you will find that they start to act with more respect and honor towards you as well. Of course, there are times when you can horse around and just be buddies. The key is to realize when it is time to goof around and when it is time to show them respect and honor. Treating them too much like a brother that you just goof around with and insult, will sooner or later cost you your friendship. Even friends have their limits.
On the other hand, The Havamal states that we should show our enemies savagery through the axe and the sword. Well, of course we can’t go around cutting our enemies to pieces in today’s society, unless they are attacking us with intent to kill, but there are others ways to treat our enemies savagely.
There are ways to pull strings in order to take your enemies down and keep them there. Never give your enemy a break, or he will use it against you. When your enemy is down, whether it is by fault of his own or by your doing, keep an eye on him to keep him there. Even a smouldering coal can reawaken to become a destructive fire, destroying everything in its path. Once your enemy is down, don’t allow his fire to reignite!
If your enemy does come against you physically in order to destroy you, take him out with savagery. This is not push and shove on the school grounds. When it comes to that point, it is time for the axe and sword, so to speak. Don’t play around, as I can assure you that your enemy won’t. His hate, anger, and jealousy of you has taken over his mind at this point. End the conflict in such a way that he will not be a threat to you again.
These are just a couple of considerations for dealing with your friends and enemies. I have written a lot about both, and it would save you a lot of stress and hassles to truly understand who is your friend and who is your enemy; and when you do, make sure you treat them accordingly. They might not be exactly who you think they are. Bohdi Sanders ~ author of BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior, available from Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937884201 or from The Wisdom Warrior website at: https://thewisdomwarrior.com.
Warrior Philosophy 