The scene is a Russian chemical weapons facility. James Bond, 007, and his partner, Alec Treveleyan, 006, are on a mission of sabotage. As they enter the warehouse armed with explosives, senses on full alert, they turn to each other and say, “For England.”

In a scene from Thunderball, Bond has been captured by the bad guys and is in a verbal brawl with the villainess. She taunts him, and he responds that what he has done he did “for King and Country” and for no other purpose. It is a theme that is woven throughout the fabric of the entire Bond franchise—a dedicated agent taking risks, making decisions, and invading enemy domains for a noble reason.

I’ve always found it interesting and often perplexing to watch the decisions and actions of us mortals. It seems axiomatic that we make decisions and pursue courses of action based on our core values. It is important to assert that the core values come first, and it is equally true that the actions and decisions we take will reveal our core values.

Why we do what we do is revealed by what we have done.

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