Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be | UPSC Mains Essay Preparation PDF Download

Philosophy

Elvis Presley once said, “Values are like fingerprints. Nobodies are the same, but you leave them all over everything you do.”
Values are defined as the principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is ethical and important in life. Values are defined as the ideas, beliefs, or actions which are desirable and worthy of esteem for their own sake. Human values are defined as those values which help man to live in peace and harmony with the whole world.
Values that may be included in the general definition of human values are love, brotherhood, respect for others — including plants and animals — honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, non-violence, gratitude, tolerance, a sense of responsibility, cooperation, self-reliance, secularism, and internationalism.
Every human value is an idea of ‘goodness’ that exists in people’s minds. It exists as a socio-metric construct that guides collective and individual action. Parents, friends, relatives, educational and religious institutions, personal experiences, prevailing belief systems, and to some extent, socio-economic conditions contribute to the formation of values in individuals. One is predisposed to imbibe the values one is raised with; and, therefore, associates those values with general righteousness. However, those make the set of core cultural values encouraged, legitimized, and rewarded by the particular cultural system they are born in. One or more of those values may potentially differ in other cultures. Thus, it is extremely important to understand differences in cultural values if problems arising out of cultural differences are to be resolved.

Why values are important in human life

Values are important because they help us to improve and develop in the right way. They guide us towards creating the ideal life humanity should experience. So, values are not about what humanity is at present, but what it ought to be in times to come.
Maintaining our values keeps us on track regarding why we do what we do and helps us live a consistent life. All our actions and decisions are affected by our core values. Anthony Robins, in his book titled ‘Awaken the Giant Within’, states that values guide our decision and, therefore, our destiny. Those who know their values and live by them become the leaders of our society. Knowing our values helps us design our life goals since we know what is most important for us today and on an ongoing basis. Values are as important as competencies to achieve our goals.
Every individual and every organization is involved in making hundreds of decisions every day. The decisions we make are a reflection of our values and beliefs, and they are always directed towards a specific purpose. That purpose is the satisfaction of our individual or collective (organizational) needs.
When our actions and words are aligned with our values, happiness and contentment prevail. But when our behaviors are not consistent with our core values, we sense an uneasiness growing inside us. This uncomfortable feeling tells us that something is not good as it is.
Values are important because they guide our actions to help us gain acceptance from people who matter to us, whose love and respect we crave. This also explains why there seems to be a universal desire for pride and a universal hatred towards hypocrisy. Pride is the overwhelming feeling of pleasure, confidence, and self-respect derived from one’s accomplishments. Hypocrisy is the pretension of adhering to values while actions demonstrate the contrary.
So, we need values in our lives —

• to lead us on the right path
• to learn the importance of goodness and morality
• to develop character
• to experience the joy of fulfillment in life
• to preserve our culture and heritage
• to change negative thoughts and behavior into positive
• to attain peace in life
• to promote peace and harmony in society.

Core values humanity ought to have

Personal values are subjective in nature and reflect what people think through their words and actions. Individuals behave in ways that allow them to express their important values and attain the goals underlying them. Thus, understanding personal values means understanding human behavior. Man is provided with reason and intellect, which enable him to differentiate between good and bad and help him adopt the most important values that can raise him to the level of the Divine. The gods in our religious scriptures were but men of the highest human values. They were the epitomes of truth, righteousness, peace, compassion, love, forbearance, sacrifice, and nonviolence.
Truth is the highest value to be cherished and practiced. ‘ Satyameva jayate' (Truth always wins) says our sacred scriptures. The Vedas proclaim “ Satyam jnanam anantam Brahma” (Knowledge of truth is the absolute consciousness). It was to be true to his word that the great King Harischandra suffered untold miseries! It may be very difficult, but it is worth living for the truth! A life of falsehood is the worst that one could live.
The practice of Truth amounts to Dharma or virtuousness. Scriptures assign great importance to moral values, calling the life of high morals dharmic life. Human conduct shouldn’t stray away from the accepted principles of ideal behavior.
The Vedas mandate “ Satyam vada, dharmam chara, matru Devo bhava, pitru Devo bhava, acharya Devo bhava, Atithi Devo bhava,” i.e., speak the truth, show right conduct, consider as god your mother, father, teacher as well as the unexpected guest. Alas, humans are more prone to disregard than to observance! Truth is displaced by falsehood and dishonesty, dharma by adharma! Father, mother, and the teacher are no more respected or loved. On the contrary, they are mistreated and excluded.
Love is a value of paramount importance in human life, manifested in numerous relationships from the time of birth to death. One should nurture all-encompassing love for fellow humans, and universal love should be the ideal for all humanity.
The value of ahimsa or nonviolence in thought, word, and deed is the prerequisite for establishing world peace: harsh thoughts, words, and deeds hurt and breed negativity. One ought to cultivate the habit of talking politely; for, harsh words are like poisoned arrows that pierce the hearts of people!  Jainism teaches, ‘No creature should be injured wantonly.’ Hindu scriptures emphasize, “Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah” - nonviolence is the highest moral virtue. Violence begets violence, of which we have examples aplenty in the present world. ISIS operated atrocities and genocides; Pakistan sponsored terrorism; never-ending clashes between Israel and Palestine; and turmoils in other parts of the globe prove human propensities to be overpowered by demonic streaks. Man has controlled almost everything on earth, but curiously enough, he has lost control over himself!
The need for these human values is much greater in the strife-torn world of the present day than ever before for humanity as it ought to be.