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Fall down seven times, get up eight.

Resilience, redemption, and resurrection are a source of social salvation.

Striving for dignity and grace in the face of external criticism is a gift.

There is an oft-quoted aphorism in the samurai tradition, which, loosely translated, intones “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” The Hagakure, from which the axiom is taken, is an often-misinterpreted treatise on Bushido (the warrior’s way) as a code of death. In fact, it is a discourse drawn from conversations between Yamamoto Tsunetomo and Nabeshima Mitsushige, between 1709 and 1716, on the warrior’s path of both living, and dying, well.

Like Miyamoto Musashi’s Sho Rin No Go (Book of Five Rings) and Sun Tsu’s Art of War, the Hagakure, although lesser known outside martial arts circles, has become a staple for those seeking counsel on self-reliance, resilience, effective leadership, and success. At no point in modern times have these ancient tools been more important. Our social media-informed culture, where a single misstep, misunderstanding, casual comment, or simple presence, can bring about ad hominem attacks and abject ruin, demands it.

In terms of social interaction, one of the most important things to recognize is, in the vast majority of situations, it’s not about you. It’s about the other person, and the elements of their own ego they are imposing upon you. Your boss doesn’t marginalize........

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