Editor, Times-Union: Do we even know what it is? We have been told that we should be chivalrous. But has anyone ever taught us what that actually means?
Society today has defined chivalry to mean something that it is not. Today both men and women have been made to believe that chivalry is nothing more than a man opening a door for a woman because he looks down on her, thinks he is better, and that she cannot open it for herself.
This understanding could not be further from the truth. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a person who is chivalrous is someone who is “marked by gracious courtesy and high-minded consideration especially to women.”
Chivalry is an old word. It comes from the days of the knights. The king or queen was referred to as “Your Highness.” Everyone bowed when they entered the room.
Today, chivalry has a similar purpose. When a man opens a door for a woman, he is considering her “higher” than himself. This is quite the opposite of what society would have us believe.
Chivalry is not looking down on women. Chivalry is looking up to women. In a sense, it is calling them, “Your highness.”
