The events of the last few weeks have left me feeling disappointed and shattered by the human race. We seem to have lost the value of basic values. From the time of Adam and Eve, man’s inherent vices have been exposed. Adam breached his contract with God, in part due to coercion by Eve. Jealousy drove Cane to murder his twin brother - and so began the lessons we were meant to learn. It seems we all need some reminding. Firstly, let’s define values and principles. Values are beliefs, attitudes and opinions that people hold regarding specific issues. They are standards of behaviour about what is important in life. Integrity, kindness, compassion and honesty are examples of commonly held values. Values are also internal and subjective, and may change over time. For example, one of my own core values is kindness. I would rather employ someone who does not have a job over someone who did - with the assumption that an unemployed person is more needy and will value the job more. I also value patience. Patience truly is a virtue. This is especially so when waiting to see joy on guests' faces after months of planning an event (I love hosting events). But if I’m waiting for a patient to arrive for a consultation and they arrive 45 minutes late, especially with no notice, I certainly wouldn’t value patience… Thus, values are situation dependent, and may change over time.Principles are quite different. Principles are fundamental truths that are permanent, unchanging, and universal in nature. Britannica defines principles as "a moral rule or belief that helps you know what is right and wrong and that influences your actions." I’m a very giving person. I have high expectations. I put my heart and soul into everything that I do. I used to expect the same from those around me, on principle. Now, I expect less - but I will never compromise my values. We live in a society where unemployment is at its highest. The current generation has adopted an attitude of entitlement. Put these together, and we have a corrupt, manipulative government that changes laws to ultimately suit their own agenda. Keep the people happy by making it easier to get into university to feign qualifications that make a person more "employable". I remember how disgusted my dad was when he learnt that a pass mark at school was reduced from 50% to 40%. You don’t have to drop your standards to get better results - you have to work harder. Nowadays, not only are the entry requirements to university at the lowest standards they’ve ever been - students now expect free tertiary education. Then, move on into the working world only to have the labour laws slanted in favour of employees—especially those who know how to manipulate the law. Manipulation is not a talent—the end does not and never did justify the means. Personally, I choose not to be part of organisations or groups or in any relationship that’s hypocritical - one cannot call for transparency and not provide it; one cannot call for change and hold on to only his or her own beliefs; one cannot advocate for a voice for the voiceless while silencing one's own, one cannot be fighting for freedom of choice and fighting undemocratic laws while twisting the same laws to your own benefit. From corrupt governments to power-hungry Big Pharma, from autocratic corporates to entitled employees, we have lost our values. There’s no accountability, transparency, honesty, or kindness. Worse, for me, are those that portray themselves as fighting the good fight - ‘for the greater good’, whilst holding different values in their personal relationships. Choosing the right "side" does not give you the moral high ground to lose basic human values. Elvis Presley said it best...
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