A Modern Samurai’s 20 Articles

This is a modernized version of Soun Hojo’s 21 Articles for everyone who wants to feel like a present day samurai.

• Be calm. No matter how bad a situation gets, things can be fixed.
• Get up early in the morning in order to carry out your own duties well. If you begin to be lax, you’ll be fired.
• Go to bed at a reasonable hour. Few things are too important to wait until tomorrow. Get up a couple hours before dawn, wash in cold water, and appreciate being alive for another day. Arrive at work early, fifteen minutes before you have to be there, so that you can do all the work allotted to you. If you don’t keep up, you won’t be able to do everything you’re responsible for.
• Before showering, go and quickly check your property. Clean up the places that need cleaning. Then go and shower. Don’t expectorate loudly, because this will disturb the people asleep in your house.
• Be honest, sincere, and law-abiding. Respect your superiors and treat your subordinates compassionately. Accept your lot, accept what you have and what you don’t have – your life can always be improved, for now accept it as it is.
• Don’t try and compete with others in the quality of your clothes and possessions. As long as they look reasonable, you’re fine. If you go into debt to buy expensive things, you will live at the mercy of your creditor.
• Fix your hair first thing, whether you go to work or stay at home. There is no way you can appear among people when you’re all disheveled – and if your subordinates see that you don’t care about your appearance, they’ll begin to neglect theirs, too. It also looks ridiculous for you to rush to fix your hair if an unexpected guest arrives. Short hair will solve many of these problems.
• Be honest with your boss.
• When you are with your boss, don’t listen to gossips. Keep well away from them. You must also not talk about yourself too much – this will make your cronies and your boss ostracize you.
• Rely on others – don’t try to do too much alone.
• Carry a book with you wherever you go. Read and learn. Improve your vocabulary and understanding of the world. Science and how things work is more important than fiction.
• When there is a line of VIPs waiting to consult with your boss, take the time to get to know them. Relationships can often make the difference. Samurai must behave with humility and deference.
• Always tell the truth to everyone – whether they are superior or subordinate to you. Even when you are joking, tell the truth, otherwise telling half-truths and lies will become a habit and you will be ostracized. If someone accuses you of lying, it is a disgrace that will never leave you.
• Always watch what you say. One word can betray your thoughts.
• During your free time, practice your car repair skills. Get an expert to show you the basic stuff, and learn all the rest on your own.
• Spend your time on studying and writing. Avoid go, chess, and musical instruments. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with these things – they’re just a waste of time. Remember that the type of person you are – good or bad – depends on your friends. Remember, too, that when you are travelling with two other people, one of them will be worth listening to. Choose him. The other one can serve as an example of what not to do.
• When you’re off work and go home, check out certain things, such as loose siding on your house. Repair the holes in the fence. Repair loose or missing shingles on your roof. Keep your yard looking tidy.
• At sunset, lock your doors. Open it only if someone comes or goes. This will prevent trouble.
• Before going to sleep, ensure the stove is turned off. If you have servants, you must first do things yourself before you ask them to do them. It is important for you to know what it’s like to do things.
• It is imperative for you to constantly practice reading, writing, martial arts, and car repair skills. Literary skills belong to your left hand, martial skills to your right.