We often see negative reports on the news that reveal that something is wrong in our society. It is common to see how parents sexually abuse their daughters, how sons kill their parents, how crimes occur and go unpunished, among many other things. Actually, if we had to enumerate them, the list would be endless.
Normally we hear that this is due to a lack of values and the vast majority of people affirm that it is true. However, have you ever wondered what values are? It would be much easier to answer if we are asked to list a few. Surely, among them we would include love, respect, trust, responsibility, kindness, kindness, etc.
However, the problem arises when we are asked to define what the values are. This, without taking into account that there are different types of values and, therefore, there is a classification of them.
We cannot instill something we do not know. Therefore, if we want to make a difference, it is necessary to educate ourselves on the subject and thus contribute, with a solid base, our grain of sand for society. We can do this from our homes, starting with our children, who are the replacement generation and the one that will instill values in the next generation.
Therefore, if you have doubts about this subject, it will be very helpful to read this short article, which has been written with the positive effect it can have on society in mind. Since, if we know what we lack, we can do something about it and not sit idly by blaming others.
On the other hand, we will learn to cultivate those values and, above all, to apply them so that our life and our relationship with others can improve significantly from now on. Let’s see how.
Instructions
We can define values as the virtues, qualities or principles that distinguish a person and that, therefore, are considered important for a social group. These qualities stand out in an individual and drive them to act in a certain way, since they are part of what they believe.
In other words, we could say that values are those that are responsible for defining people’s thoughts, as well as the way they want to live and interact with those around them.
Although until now we have talked about values as an individual characteristic, there are also those that are shared by society and, therefore, are in charge of establishing the attitudes of the collective, so that the common good can be achieved.
Likewise, they can be classified depending on their importance for the person or for society. Among the most important are human values, which have a greater impact for different social groups. Some of them are ethics, respect, kindness, freedom, honesty, friendship, among others.
As we have already mentioned, these are grown in the house. Parents are primarily responsible for doing so. However, at school they must be reinforced. For this reason, parents should dedicate quality time to their children, in order to improve communication and share different family activities, in order to educate children with values.
However, values are also transmitted through example , so it is common for us to imitate the actions of the people around us. Hence the importance of selecting well those who will be part of our circle of friends.
Types
There are different types of values; which can be classified as follows:
- Universal: they are those that are considered positive by the vast majority of countries and cultures. Among them we find sincerity, responsibility, justice, freedom, kindness, honesty, love, friendship, respect, trust, and understanding.
- Humans: are those which are thought to be essential in a person. For example, solidarity, tolerance, kindness, loyalty, humility and sensitivity.
- Personal : these are those that help to guide oneself in life and relate to other people. Some of them are fidelity, gratitude, discipline, patience, perseverance, empathy, understanding and perseverance.
- Relatives: these are those that are held within each of the families, which come from the beliefs that have been held and transmitted from generation to generation. Among them are family union, respect for the elderly, kindness, honesty, solidarity, etc.
- Sociocultural: they are the set of broad beliefs accepted by society, which share common codes of conduct. In order to understand it better, we can say that some country may give more importance to religion and respect, while another gives it to freedom and equality. Some of the sociocultural values are: patriotism, religion, punctuality, freedom of expression, family, etc.
- Morals: are the essential characteristics to live in society and make decisions governed by ethics. For example, respect for others, tolerance, loyalty, among others.
- Spiritual: they are those that give value to non-tangible or material aspects. Like religious beliefs, harmony, faith, balance, etc.
- Intellectual: these are those that improve the person in terms of reason, intellect and memory, such as wisdom, reading, curiosity.
- Political: they are those political ideas that a person defends. Some of these ideas are freedom, equality, democracy, among others.
- Company: As the name implies, these are the codes of conduct that are shared within a company and that are encouraged among employees. For example, communication, cooperation, teamwork, innovation, diligence, among others.
Other values
There are other types of values such as material values, objectives, vital, ethical, priority, civic, corporate, professional, instrumental, among many others.
It is true that not all of us share the same ones, since everyone is free to think what they see fit. However, it is still important that these are promoted in society. But what is its importance? what is achieved with it? Would it really help to improve society and, therefore, the world?
Tips
- Values are intended to help people determine what is most important in their lives, what things they give priority to. In addition, they are essential to be able to live in society and have a good relationship with those around us.
- They give us the opportunity to live together and respect each other, despite all the differences that may exist between us. They help us decide what is the most appropriate conduct among multiple options available to us.
- They also encourage us to act in accordance with our ideals and principles. They allow us to have shared ideas with others about what is most important, that is, to agree or find a meeting point between different opinions.
- They are the pillars where human identity is founded. In addition, they are the condition that forms and distinguishes a community from others.
- But not all values have the same importance. There is a value system that creates relationships of need and dependency between them. Thus, depending on the social group we are in, some values will be given more importance than others, despite the fact that there is an interdependent relationship between all of them.
- Forming values is essential for them to last and solidify in social relationships, and this can only be achieved through family, school and the social group to which the person belongs, thanks to social integration.
- For any child this transmission is important, at least until they are old enough to decide whether or not these values are well founded. Regardless of whether these are questioned in the future, it serves to be able to have an understanding of the world.
It is worth making the effort to cultivate them in our lives and thus become a better person day after day.