The difference between the private facts and the public beliefs is the essence of the system of honor.
That difference is at the same time also the engine of dissimulation and imposture in honor societies. The problem with adultery, for example, is not only the fact of the violation but also the general belief about one's being cuckolded.
Sincerity as a virtue is the enemy of honor because it means the private facts prevail over the public conception and the inner character of the man is a greater duty than his fame (or good name).
Modernity is the age of sincerity.
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