Harrow: He’s down. You have to finish it, lad. You have to finish it. For a man to lie beaten, and yet breathing? It makes him a coward.
Inara: It’s humiliation.
Mal: Sure, it’s humiliating. Having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood. Mercy is the mark of a great man. (lightly stabs Atherton in the stomach) Guess I’m just a good man. (stabs him again) Well, I’m all right.
Firefly — Episode 4 — “Shindig”
The Love Pirate 
my fave scene of the series.
an interesting idea of ideals and social manners being more important than life itself.
part of the might makes right fallacy
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