Values are the main beliefs of a person, which can either be their lifetime goal or represent their preferred behavior. These features have a significant impact on the way a person acts and their attitude. To further illustrate this concept in a more detailed manner, I will refer to a couple of the values I follow, while depicting a situation when I have broken them. Afterward, I will depict a situation where I happened to have broken them.
For my example, I will use two out of the ten motivational values listed by Schwartz and his colleagues. Said values may be differentiated by referring to two pairs of opposite dimensions: conservation and openness to change, self-transcendence, and self-enhancement (Lecture 2, n. d.). I am a strong supporter of benevolence and universalism; unfortunately, there was one case when I failed to follow these values that I consider to be important.
One day, my friend needed my help with a project for her job assignment. Unfortunately, due to a conflict that had happened before it, I instantly declined the request. During that time, I had no regard for the possible outcome of the event. However, as expected, my reluctance to help my friend with the project resulted in her losing the opportunity to get a raise at her job.
By doing so, I had broken the two aforementioned virtues: benevolence and universalism. My friend’s well-being at the time did not matter to me, as it normally would have, thus, violating benevolence (Lecture 2, n. d.). Since our conflict mattered more to me than the possible outcome of my not helping my friend, I had no regard for universalism at the time. This, in turn, is a prime example of a conflict between two opposite dimensions: self-transcendence versus self-enhancement. I have chosen power and hedonism (pleasing my hurt feelings and putting my friend in a fragile position) over benevolence and universalism.
The aforementioned situation raises the question of how I would support these values. Understandably, the conflict makes my claim quite questionable, as I had failed to follow my beliefs in that case. Fortunately, a few weeks after the conflict, I experienced two situations, where I used the opportunity to uphold these values. These two events, in a way, helped me redeem myself after what had happened.
One day, I came across a situation where my coworker needed my help in creating some contracts for his assignment. While I had some errands to finish myself, I couldn’t decline the request, so I agreed. Although my colleague’s assignment was quite hard, I successfully finished it. This, in turn, resulted in him getting an impressive raise. By doing so, I managed to uphold one of the two values: benevolence.
One week later, my coworkers and I were at a group meeting with our boss. The goal of the meeting was to brainstorm some ideas for our future project. One of my colleagues suggested an idea that I did not like, for I found it quite ridiculous. As she was sitting by the same desk next to me, she asked me if I had any ideas. Having heard my idea, my coworker told me that it was too dangerous for the future of the company and provided a reasonable explanation for this opinion. Thus, I chose not to suggest my idea to protect the company and uphold another value: universalism.
The importance of values can be defined by the role they play in one’s life. They represent realistic goals that help a person navigate through their life. Moreover, values assist people in differentiating right from wrong and help them make ethical decisions. In the two aforementioned situations, I successfully followed my two values: universalism and benevolence. These two beliefs will assist me in becoming a better person and prevent me from making the wrong decisions.
Reference
Lecture 2 – Values, Virtues and Character. (n. d.) PowerPoint.