I adored my Father, who died in 1991, but didn't really understand him. But one value he taught me stayed with me for life. And that is always to keep your word.
Dad could never stand liars. For him, they were weak, manipulative, unworthy people. With few exceptions he viewed politicians - like most other people in authority - as professional liars who made a living from doing it well.
That was one reason why High Noon, starring Gary Cooper, was his favourite film.
The film is constructed like a Greek Tragedy in which the whole action takes place, as it happens, in 85 minutes running time. Gary Cooper plays the Marshall, who has to fend off 4 killers who are coming in to town for him. He could run away but he will not leave the job he has sworn to do. One by one he is deserted by every worrier in town, even by his (pacifist) wife. In the shootout he narrowly escapes death before finally throwing in his badge.
For my Dad, the Marshall was a hero because he kept his word no matter what. He took full responsibility for his actions, even at the risk of death.
The Toltec Indian writer, Don Miguel Ruiz, has this to say about keeping your word:
"If we become impeccable with our word, any emotional poison will eventually be cleaned from our mind and from our communication in personal relationships...it will also give you immunity from anyone putting a negative spell on you [with words]. You will only receive a negative idea if your mind is fertile ground for that idea. When you become impeccable with your word, your mind is no longer fertile ground for words that come from black magic. Instead, it is fertile ground for the words that come from love. You can measure the impeccability of your word by your level of self-love."
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