Is the idea "In death is there glory" flawed?

georgelee5786

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The philosophy of my Empire and its people is, more less, "In death do we find glory "
But what I wonder is how do I properly apply this ideology without glorifying things like suicide and dying foolishly while glorifying noble sacrifice and death in combat? Would augmenting it to mean that by living a longer life and performing noble acts make death more meaningful, and therefore make entrance to their equivalent of heaven be better?
 

K_Jira

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The philosophy of my Empire and its people is, more less, "In death do we find glory "
But what I wonder is how do I properly apply this ideology without glorifying things like suicide and dying foolishly while glorifying noble sacrifice and death in combat? Would augmenting it to mean that by living a longer life and performing noble acts make death more meaningful, and therefore make entrance to their equivalent of heaven be better?
If I'm not wrong, every philosophy has its foundation. You should find (or make) the correlation between death and glory. It can be honor, virtue, piety, faith, or anything you want that is not suicidal. From there, you can expand it to something more concrete.
 

Zakuro

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The philosophy of my Empire and its people is, more less, "In death do we find glory "
But what I wonder is how do I properly apply this ideology without glorifying things like suicide and dying foolishly while glorifying noble sacrifice and death in combat? Would augmenting it to mean that by living a longer life and performing noble acts make death more meaningful, and therefore make entrance to their equivalent of heaven be better?
Corpse starches. Even in death we still serve.
 

P00H

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The philosophy of my Empire and its people is, more less, "In death do we find glory "
But what I wonder is how do I properly apply this ideology without glorifying things like suicide and dying foolishly while glorifying noble sacrifice and death in combat? Would augmenting it to mean that by living a longer life and performing noble acts make death more meaningful, and therefore make entrance to their equivalent of heaven be better?
If you don't understand what it means, you should probably not write about it, and find another way to tell your story.
 

Paul_Tromba

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Spartans and Vikings lived by a similar code. Suicide was g avidly frowned upon in both cultures as they believed that the only way to go to their respective heavens was by dying a warriors death. In other words, a badass death without any signs of fear. That said, the two differed when it came to veterans. Spartans that lived long enough to retire were regarded as royalty while Viking veterans were considered cowards.
 
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Ararara

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I find it pretty badass, and kinda accurate. Especially if there was a long and full life before it.
 

Just.Another.Adult.

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You could actually make that an internal conflict within the Empire... that some splinter groups or cults actually interpret the concept of "In Death There Is Glory" to mean all forms of death, not just the righteous path of self sacrifice for others.

You could have an epidemic of hopeless youths forming suicide pacts en masse, serial killers using it to justify their murders, or soldiers being more barbaric and butchering civilians to have more kills under their belt to prove themselves.

Could even take it as far as shadowy elites having blood bath orgies to stay "young and powerful" by bathing in the gore, or sacrificing people to honour the creed itself, missing the message to worship the words too literally.

I think keeping the core tenant of the philosophy that underpins the world's view a little ambiguous allows you to play with it more, let's you explore the concept from more angles if that's what you want to do with it.

If you're looking to have it be a very solid core belief that people DO NOT mess about with, it is never broken, or simply you aren't interested as a writer exploring the corruption of that idea, then being more specific in the wording will help.

I'd suggest maybe saying something like "A Glorious Death Is Dying For Others/The Empire", though obviously try and make it more snappy than that, as this suggests the importance of WHEN and WHY the death matters, not just death itself.

Hope that helps and I haven't just rambled on or potentially indirectly spoilered any of your ideas by spit balling concepts to explain myself. I do always like a good Viking/Klingon death/battle philosophy though, so kudos~
 

kophzi

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A character's death should be defined not by a single moment of his lifetime, but by how he had chosen to live it in its entirety. If he had lived a gloriously honourable life, then yes, there is honour in death as he shall be remembered throughout time. His name, echoing throughout the centuries as his descendants refuse to allow him to enter true death, the void of being forgotten.
 

Macha

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The philosophy of my Empire and its people is, more less, "In death do we find glory "
But what I wonder is how do I properly apply this ideology without glorifying things like suicide and dying foolishly while glorifying noble sacrifice and death in combat? Would augmenting it to mean that by living a longer life and performing noble acts make death more meaningful, and therefore make entrance to their equivalent of heaven be better?
Reaching heaven is not enough. You need to surpass it.
 
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