Why “Women first” and the “expendable Men” came about.

Warriors are not what you think of as Warriors. The Warrior is not someone who fights, because no one has the right to take another life. The warrior, for us, is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others. -Sitting Bull-

One of the biggest issues some men have with Chivalry is the concept of the expendable man. We have all heard the phrase “women and children first”, where men are relegated as secondary to women in cases of an emergency. In absolute honesty, that is exactly what that phrase means. You first save the Women and Children. Then, and only then, do you worry about the Men.

To understand this concept, you have to first understand the military origins of Chivalry. A Chivalrous man was a Gentleman-Soldier. One of the core ideals of almost all Warrior Codes is how their life is forfeit. They accepted this fate as part of their martial training, removing their fear of death and their instincts of self-preservation. Ironically, this acceptance of death made them appreciate life even more, evident in all their artistic endeavors.

Now days, in more “civilized” times, we see the idea of “women and children first” called upon less and less, relegated to a crisis or an emergency. Now we have first responders who determine priorities based on the needs of those affected. One interesting aspect of note are how those trained for combat, that hold the lives of others as more important than their own, will still follow a similar concept of expendability. And it is this acceptance of willing to offer the ultimate sacrifice that makes them Gentlemen and Ladies of worth.