Life Beyond The Robot: Why Values Matter

As I am writing this article, my mind goes to the most important decisions I’ve ever made in my life. Why did I decide to go to college? Did I value knowledge? In spite of barriers, why I have never given up the dream of a diploma in my hand?  

Values matter because they set us apart from one another and yet also bring us together under a common goal. Values can also break people up if their views on life are too far apart. Throughout  history, adherence to a certain set of values and beliefs sent many to their deaths and also created unity of ideas and aspirations as people gathered by the thousands to participate rallies, concerts and festivals. 

All human beings are guided by their own core belief system. Each of us is motivated to move our lives in a certain direction based on what we perceive as reality. The ideas we entertain as truth are reinforced by our emotions and feelings, which turn those mental perceptions into the desire to pursue a particular course of actions.  

Understanding our own value system is imperative to creating our ideal life. Without values or beliefs, we become robot-like beings, driven only by our instinctual behavior or urges. Indeed, living a life guided by values is what really makes us human; our ability to choose our own values, beliefs, ideas or life philosophy is unique to the human species.

Clarifying our values is an important step in understanding who we are and how we want to show up in the world. Furthermore, it is up to each of us to discern the building principles upon which our society stands and determine for ourselves the best way we can manifest our life purpose. Because beliefs and values have a tremendous power to shape our world, it is our personal responsibility to concentrate on our core beliefs and values.

I invite you to consider three categories of values in human life: universal, cultural and personal values. Our universal values, such as love and hope, are almost ordained from birth, our cultural values are set by the time and place we live in, and our personal values are a combination of the first two plus the values held by our parents, which to some extent we inherit. To all this, add your own life experiences that contribute to what become your own core values.

Universal values reveal the essence of the human condition at any given time in history. If we analyze the Renaissance, the more recent Industrial Revolution or the Technological Revolution, we can see clearly the universal values that represented that particular historical time. Also, universal values have the ability to unite the whole world for a particular cause as we have seen many individuals and nations helping out in case of a natural catastrophe as the earthquake in Haiti or Japan.

Universal values can be experienced as: life, love, joy, peace, unity, eternity, happiness, fulfillment, sacrifice, etc. As a society, as a whole what kind of universal values do we adhere to? Do we value peace or war? Do we value life? Do we value integrity or sacrifice? What kind of universal values do we ascribe to as Americans?

Cultural values are the values that describe a group of people who agree upon certain norms to live by. They serve to establish and maintain social order and they are particular to a time and place. Usually they are concerned with ethics, right and wrong, good and bad and with manners and customs. Being born and raised in a different culture until I was 18 years old, I can tell you about the cultural shock I’ve experienced in 1985 when I came to America. 

As more and more countries became part of the European Union in the second half of the 20th century, people feared losing their cultural identity. As English became more universally used, many European countries became concerned that their own language will lose ground. In particular, Switzerland was concerned. Leaders there went so far as to try to exclude English from school curriculums. 

Our cultural values are reflected in: language, ethics, status systems, social conventions, education, education, law, philosophy, etc. What kind of cultural values do we demonstrate by cutting down educational programs, social services for the less privileged or by choosing to single out certain groups based on race or religion? As a whole, are we hiding under the cultural mask, a “persona,” we are ashamed of?

Individual values are our private meanings for engaging with the world. They create our relationships, careers, health habits, what we drink and eat, etc. What are the cherished ideals and beliefs that shaped our lives, those  motivating factors to wake us up in the morning? Maybe you can make a list with all your personal values and write few words about why they are important to you right now. 

Knowing our individual values helps us know when to say “yes” or “no” to something. They create a compass that keeps us on track. Some say that having a moral dilemma builds character. Do you agree with that? Did you ever find yourself in a situation that choosing a certain path defined where you stand with that issue? How far would you go to stand up for your personal truth? Would you break a relationship, leave a job, change your political orientation or your religion? Who are you becoming when you say “yes” to something and “no” to something else?

In conclusion, the main benefit of knowing our values is that we will gain tremendous clarity and focus to take joyful and committed action, knowing that we live in alignment with our highest core values. Because we, as humans, tend to be inconsistent in the way we use our resources, our value system is the gauge that always bring us back on track to steer the direction of our lives at any given time.