This blog is created with a view to provide a forum to discuss the human values and their application in our life. I hope that through discussion and by sharing personal experiences the participants will mututally benefit. During the course of our life we think and reflect on various issues and events in our daily lives. We look for explanations and answers - sometimes we find some explanation while on many occasions we do not find any logical explanation. Human beings have the ability of meta cognition - i.e. we can think about thinking. In my own experience most of us conform to the values of the society where we are born, and we drink, eat, procreate in some cases, age and die. Death presents us with a dead line, so strive hard to make the best use of our lives within the means available. We do think about the prupose of our life at some point in time and most of us move on without putting any effort to look for some plausable answers. Those wo make an effort find some religious or non religious explanation and mostly conform to the values of the community and live their life and die.
The permanent values are those which do not change with time and are equally applicable in all times to all human beings. These values are experienced by all on a daily basis and do not require any proof. I will list some of these values:
1. Equality as a human being: When a human child is born, it is equal to anyother child born anywhere in the world. It comes with no wealth, no culture, no status, no name, - it is just a human child. It has no choice to be born in a particular family, society, nation or even does not have a choice whether would like to be born or not or to be a boy or a girl. Similarly when one dies, we are equal as death is going to come to those who are born. Again we are equal at the time of our death. So the subsequent life after being born equal adds relative values which are left behind at the time of death e.g. people may claim that this is my wealth as I have earned it, but can they take it with them at the time of their death? This aspect of relative values will be expanded subsequently.
2. Human Dignity: As a human being and being equal each one of us deserves dignity and also respect from each other in a broader sense and this also means that anything which degrades us below the level of human dignity, must be eradicated. For example each one of us being equal have same basic needs and efforts must be made that these are met. For example due to the economic circumstances if basic needs of a population are not met then others should make an effort to prevent it from happening i.e. equality means mankind is a one community.
3. Justice: Justice means one law for everyone. Justice is indivisible and starts from our ownself as an independent entity. Justice is not only that which is administered through the courts, but is also present in our daily individual and collective lives. For example within the family, we need to be just to our children, to our neighbours, to our colleagues, with each other as a husband and a wife ... its limits are limitless. We have to be even just to our own bodies - will be expanded later in the context of a human self and what it means. We will expland on this later in another blog.
4. Mankind as one community: Equality of humans at birth means that mankind is one community therefore anyone trying to divide this community works against this universal value. On an evolutionary scale we are moving towards this objective slowly, but surely with the passage of time. This will need more explanation and would like to invite thoughts from others.
5. Human Self: During our passage through the physical life we make choices within the freedom provided by the society in which we live. These choices help to develop our thought process or experience and this helps to develop our personality. This personality or self defines us indvidually. 'I' am not my physcial self, but the one who makes choices and is responsible. This 'I' is ageless and does not age with time - the thoguths and deeds which strengthen it are righteous deeds and thoughts and deeds which weaken it are negative effects. The human self cannot procreate itself and remains ageless in thoughts - difficult concept to grasp - will expand it later? Our thougths precede our decision making and actions and these thoughts help to develop our 'self' or personality. Will expand on this later.
6. Individual Responsibility: Those of us who can make choices in life, have a responsibility to make the right choices within these values. For example if I make a choice which is going to hurt a fellow human being then it is against the value of justce and equality. Will expand on this later.
7. Warning: This value keeps us on the right track of following the above values. The warning could be of two types: Devloped and implemented as an external system e.g. police, CCTVs, laws, regulations, media or it could be inbuilt within our own self? We will expand on this later.
8. Freedom to choose: The existence of a human self means that one should be able to make choices in life within the contraints of these permanent values. For example parents are only a vehicle to bring children in this world, but should not be allowed to force a choice on their children. They should provide and teach permanent values and let the children make their own choices e.g. education, career, religious beliefs, marriage, etc. The educational system based on permanent values should provide training and guidance to develop this value.
9. Basic Needs must be met: Human beings cannot develop thier full potentials till their basic needs are met adequately. As mentioned above that the human equality and diginity demands that we should make efforts to meet the basic needs of everyone child on a universal basis. Those who can work, must have a job - so keeping people in jobs is more important than saving costs. Thos who cannot work due to disability - then we should help them to retain their 'balance' in life so that they can promote good in whatever they can do e.g. tuition to children, voluntary work, reading/writing, etc.
10. Reward for the work and not for the capital: Human beings should be paid adequate living wage for their work and surplus capital should be kept flowing through the economic system like blood flows through the human body. Any restriction placed on the flow of the blood will affect the human body, similarly any accumulation of the capital will ultimately affect the operation of the permanent values. The existing financial crisis is a glaring example of the accumulation of wealth in few hands. The solution presently being pursued is called recapitalisation without any structural changes in the system - this is not going to work as it is against two permanent values - this value and the value of justice. Ulitmatley a new system is evolving through strong public opinion and protests. This will need further discussion.
11. Marriage as a basis of parental commitment: Equality and justice demands that the way we as individuals wish to be treated, we need to extend the same to others - the others could be our children. If we bring them into this world then we have a responsibility and accountability (as part of justice) to bring them up within the permanent values. Their development within the permanent values will be our multiplied reward which very few of us can imagine - needs some meta cognition!
There are more of these permanent values and I will add these with time. However for the time being some of these are posted for discussion, comments and views. Please avoid any emotive language and reflect over these values as these affect all of us at some point in time in our lives.
