The Everyday Knight

“No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.” – JRR Tolkien

If we are a society of equals, why do so many choose to remain “common” rather than “aristocratic?” It is not merely a matter of wealth or circumstance. In a world where access to culture and information are free and instantaneous, we can and should choose to be educated and noble.

Leadership can be considered a talent as well as a skill. But what qualities do we look for when selecting a leader, or deciding whether to follow? And which virtues comprise what we think of as “good” leadership?

Modern concepts of Loyalty differ somewhat from the complex medieval relationships of Fealty, or Homage. Yet Loyalty was also considered extremely important as a virtue to the historic knight. We look at the differences and similarities, and how they relate to our modern definition.

Part 2 of our discussion on Divided Loyalties

Good communication skills bring value to every human interaction. In the age of instantaneous worldwide communication, and the proliferation of social media platforms, how does one maintain courtesy and the other virtues within the limits of “text only” interaction?