Values and Feelings
We value what we feel
strongly about. We value what is important to us.
We value what we believe will make us happy. We
value what we need.
Our values come from our
parents, our relatives, neighbors, friends,
teachers. Major institutions of society such as
institutional religion, law, business and
education all influence our values.
When we value something we
will strive to get more of it. If we are hindered
in pursuit of something we value we feel
frustrated, unfulfilled. Our values guide us. It
is critically important, then, that we value the
"right" things. In other words, those
which bring us health and happiness. If we value
the "wrong" things, we will chase the
wrong goals and feel unfulfilled even if we
achieve our objectives.
To get an idea of what the
people in your society or social group value,
take a look at how they spend their time and
money. Take a look also at the choices they make
in what books to read and what TV shows to watch
(if any). Also, take a look at what brings the
harshest punishment and the highest rewards, and
in what brings social approval and social
disapproval.
Social Commentary
Though many people say that
we suffer from a lack of values, it is more
accurate to say we suffer from an unhealthy and
dysfunctional prioritization of values. In the
United States, for example, there has recently
been a lot of talk about family values, but some
of the highest "family values" in
America seem to be appearances, money, material
things, and status.
Entertainment is apparently
valued higher than education, if salaries are
used as the measure of value. In most schools and
families obedience and conformity seem to be
among the highest values. And in many so-called
conservative families, religious faith seems to
be valued over science and reason, and punishment
and judgment seem to be valued more highly than
education, tolerance and compassion. Since I have
been in South America it is very obvious that
obedience is valued much more than any form of
learning, at least in countries like Ecuador and
Peru, where I have spent a lot of time and
visited a lot of schools.
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