The Values That Make Us Human
Do you know
what is 'common' between us and the saints?
That, we all
are the 'creatures of the god'.
Do you know
that is 'uncommon' between us and the saints?
The
'sacredness' of the saints.
Do you know
what 'should be common' between us and the saints?
'The values
of life that make us a human'.
"Open
your arms to change, but don't let go of your values".
— Dalai Lama
Today's
generation is moving at a very fast rate. As a parent, spouse or business
professional, we encounter several circumstances each day which test our
patience, character and the peace of mind. During such times, our values guide
us and shape our priorities and reactions.
Here, I am
going to emphasize the importance of three values which. I believe are the
basic values to be a human and to live peacefully in today's scenario.
(i)
Character
"Reputation
is what others think of you. Character is what you know yourself to be".
— Helen Keller
Character
means that you take pride in being the absolute best that you can be,
regardless of whether anyone else is paying attention. Character is what you
owe to yourself; your dignity, integrity, effort and self-respect.
If one has
to choose between 'character' and "Reputation'; one should always choose
"Character" because reputation can be earned for the second time but
character can't.
(ii)
Forgiveness
"The
stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naïve forgive and forget; the wise
forgive but do not forget".
—Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
We live, we
fight, we forgive, we forget. It is cycle of life which goes on. It is natural
to feel bad, to feel hitting back after a fight. But what makes us stable in
such condition is the ability to go let it go. Forgiveness is the attribute of
the strong, it makes us at peace and give us an upper hand. One should forgive,
but never forget the lesson learnt from pain.
(iii)
Tolerance
"Tolerance
is about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you".
—Mahatma Gandhi
Lack of
tolerance in today's society is leading to, matricide, patricide, fratricide
etc. And 'suicide'. If we wish to have peace and harmony in our societies and
personal lives, we need to develop and imbibe the value of tolerance within
ourselves. Tolerance comes by from
learning to forgive.
So, a value
system can keep people moving along in life making good choices and being proud of who they are. When our actions
and words are aligned with our values, life is generally good and we feel
content, confident and satisfied and proud of ourselves.
