Values'Tis the season for going over personal values! My church has been going over their values as a sermon series, I have friends who are redefining personal values, and even I, myself, have been discerning the importance of values and what it is that I envision character-wise looking forward. Aside from that, I've been pondering this as the next step in the "Inner Peace" series, but more specifically, I've been tackling what it means to actually represent personal values instead of what they are. I think often it's much easier to talk about what we believe in than actually enact it with coherence and intention, and the same applies to personal values: talk is cheap, let's get real. The definition of values as decided by a quick google search is, "a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life," basically synonymous with principles or personal morals. They essentially digest large ideas and belief systems into smaller conceptual, yet essential, building blocks that navigate personal decisions. Much like sugars are broken down into their basic elements to provide nutrition and drive to your body, beliefs and opinions are broken down into basic values to provide drive and direction to your life. They are essentially the principled core of your volition and emotions, but they aren't always coherent. I've talked about the anomaly of cognitive dissonance and its massive realm of influence before, which basically occurs when two concepts or beliefs sharply juxtapose eachother, not providing any fluidity or support to the other. Values can sometimes do this. They can find their basis in irrational emotions or cultural swings and provide nominal principles and beliefs about how one should go about their lives - which isn't necessarily bad, as everyone is free to develop and live in their own way, but hopefully it encourages some deeper insight and introspection on what our values are and where they find their basis. An example of this dynamic can be seen today, right now! A new virus sweeps the globe with panic and complete hysteria. This response is seemingly harmless, productive even - but what if I told you the global fatality rate of such a virus is only 2.6% of its victims? *Including the majority of sufferers who had a preexisting condition or compromised immune system.* The seasonal flu and even the common cold are more notorious than those numbers. Deaths of any of these predicaments range through the thousands to the tens of thousands this year alone, but do you know what ranges into the tens of millions in a year? Death by hunger. That’s only one very real problem that has swept our world for an eternity and continues to do so today, as we fret about who’s at fault for the coronavirus. The belief: ‘I know people to be important, and I recognize that there are very real global issues to stand up against and solve!’ The action potential: ‘Everyone around me is wearing masks, and the television is inducing me with fear - everything I am fighting for must go on hold because the media says that I am in imminent danger’, I'm not entirely sure that gives you the exact idea, but I'm rolling with it! The point is, when it comes to basic beliefs (or values!) we often find ourselves in a state of unawareness about our cognitive dissonance. The cause of this dissonance and incoherence, however, is the stuff of 'spilled tea' as my friend would say, referencing the gossip and emotional discharge that contributes to... drumroll please... pop-culture! Get it Cheap!Culturally ingrained themes, values, and standards are everywhere around us, on pop bottles, clothing brands, different grocery store profiles, and so many others. Virtually everything we consume is an advertisement for another thing that carries its own principles. The issue with that abundance of advertisement is that there are so many different things to be valued today all in one small age, that they often conflict! You've got obtrusive sexuality plastered in every shopping mall you enter, with women pictured simply for their shape and appeal - and yet we're a culture that is actively fighting the good fight of feminism, and trying to change a woman's profile from commodity to independent, equal, and God-fearing. It just doesn't make sense! Culture sells principles for cheap - I mean dirt-cheap, and you can bet your fanciest sherpa-throw that it doesn't give a hoot about realigning itself. This kind of illuminated dissonance really sparks the question: what ideas are we harbouring that just don't make sense? What has been culturally ingrained in us but secretly conflicts with our beliefs? You know where my values fail? Self-care, and the matters of confidence, leadership, and even faith! I'll be the first to admit that I have so many ideas about what my life should look like in terms of all of these things, and yet at least half the time my emotions and anxieties are running the show. I believe that a person is individually made, created, and gifted - so much so that I started this blog to remind myself and others of that! But so often I am deep in the rut of comparison and feelings of inadequacy, and I know that others experience this same dynamic. I have well-deciphered values, or basic moral building blocks, that writhe with intention in my heart - but I also am scattered with culturally-reinforced concepts of insecurity, inadequacy, and so many other odd emotional responses that never developed beyond their emotional state, yet become the foundation for my behaviour in so many circumstances. This inconsistency that so many of us unknowingly experience isn't just preventative of happiness, but it also makes it more difficult to walk by all of the things we are passionate about. By that I mean that the presence of so much dissonance in our passionate foundations is like a narrowing of the arteries through which our values are nurtured, it clutters our worldview with junk and conflict. Culture filters our outlet of passion and our values, it preoccupies the unique concerns and principles we have. It dictates what cultural values we represent in place of our unique passions and limits our action potential of influence to one or two popular concerns, which brings me back to my pal, Four, from the movie Divergent (2014), who didn't just want to be one thing. "The test didn't work on you..."This movie, Divergent, originally a book by Veronica Roth (an example where the movie almost parallels the book in quality), could be one of my favourites. Yes, it's a bit of a cheesy tween flick, and yes - its sequels aren't necessarily the stuff of legends, but it unloads something very counter-cultural, I think: variability. We're not in some fight for freedom in being factioned off into groups that are dedicated to serving society in just one way, I know, but I think that we as a culture do suffer some oppression when it comes to individuality. You see, the movement right now is for 'conformity by rebellion,' people proving themselves different but ultimately just assigning themselves to another school of lifestyle. Our youth struggle with it, our kids struggle with it, and I'm sure it won't be long before our dogs do too. People trying their hardest to be true to themselves, but outletting the wrong things in order to remain in the boundaries of expectation. That's where you get radicals who would willingly support the reckless use of polyester in blankets (an extremely dangerous and unsustainable material, but no hate because we all gotta stay warm somehow) in order to abolish the use of all wool or use of animal products. Well-intentioned? Sure. Effective? You tell me. That's what I mean though - there's an obvious trade-up for our unique values for whatever is supported by the culture we subscribe ourselves to, even the church has its failings. But if we can override that dynamic, and if we can just swim up-river with all of our pure, raw, unique values in hand, then we can shine a light of balance and of integrity that's never been shone before, whatever it is you're standing up for. We can go against the grain and prioritize people and freedom over trying to 'fit in', and we can influence with the things we believe in with a sort of humble grandeur that presents a whole balance of right living rather than vehement aggression on one particular concept. The way I picture it is a growing garden bed, complete with so many colours and varieties of flowers that all contribute to an experience rather than one, single, over-powering rose that grows tall in its intensity and then fades with the wind... That sort of individuality, that variability, divergence even, that's what brings holistic change to a situation. The beauty of a sunset is in all that it touches, the glowing lights illuminating beautiful things that you've never noticed before they were clothed in gold; that same grandeur isn't found in the blazing intensity of staring into the sun - that's just blinding and painful. You and I can have that kind of influence and that kind of affect on the world. We can bring light and love and consistency in by illuminating with our diversity. We can bring our values about kindness and honesty, and our passions about justice and mercy - and even our principles about sustainability - into our daily walk. We don’t have to be ONE THING, in fact, in light of not stifling the Holy Spirit, I’d venture to say we aren’t just one thing. An artist never uses just one shade to complete his masterpiece - and he certainly doesn’t rely on the unmatched minds around him to tell him which shades to use. I heard someone at my school say a couple weeks ago, ‘leverage who you are to feed His sheep’, and I couldn’t agree more. Rebekah out.
1 Comment
I came here hoping there would be something new from you, but you gave me so much more than “new” - you have me “thoughtful,” “provocative,” “robust” and “necessary” (to read and share, that is). Thank you so much for this deep dive, Rebekah. Looking forward to reading your next post. (And very happy that there IS a next post!)
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