ABSTRACT
A spirit-based paradigm starts from the premise that people, individually and collectively, seek self-esteem. Self-esteem is a sense of self-worth that makes people feel good about them, happier about life and more confident in their ability to confront its challenges. It is achieved by excelling in activities valued by one's peers or society and gaining respect from those whose opinions matter. The spirit is best conceived of as an innate human drive, with self-esteem its goal, and honor and standing the means by which it is achieved. Hierarchy is a rank ordering of statuses. In honor societies, honor determines the nature of the statuses and who fills them. Each status has privileges, but also an associated rule package. To summarize, honor-based societies experience conflict about who is "recognized" and allowed to compete for standing; the rules governing agon or competition; the nature of the deeds that confer standing; and the actors who assign honor, determine status and adjudicate competing claims.
