Humans and Values - My View
I know, we humans revel in according values at the drop of a hat and celebrating those, to whatever merits our attention. At all circumstances, one’s action, whether of doing, appreciating, or opposing, things or events, is more or less decided by the value that gets attached to it. Value can push one forward, and also pull one back. There are far too many variables, both real and abstract, that can alter a value. Also, there are far too many constants and variables of our life that a value can alter.
Moreover, once we accord a value, sooner than later, it shall be becoming a part of the event or object in reference. It would go on to become an intrinsic property, even overshadowing its natural attributes. Once that happens, not only that the said entity becomes something worth dying for, but also it acquires everlasting life. For example, for me, an old pen may not be a thing of value, but one, say, gifted by my late grandfather, acquires a status of the most precious.
And, one can safely say, effectively, this is what separates us from the rest of life.
What is this value? Well, it is nothing but an excuse to do something that would not have been acceptable, desirable, or rewarding, if there wasn't a particular adjective, mostly referred as value, attached to it. In fact, as long as what we do is in sync with the values that are there in perception, neither will things call for an external push, nor will we face a need to explain our actions. Otherwise, objections or queries shall come, effectively putting a brake to it. So, value has become something all pervasive.
Think of the days when humans were yet to sense or perceive value in things or events. Occasions would have arose that demanded some sort of prioritizing, and they would have been at a loss. A system would have come into existence to supplement the naturally occurring attributes, or to provide anew, where such endearments were non-existent, as far as things or events of interest, go. And accord values, well beyond the attributes that shall be accompanying the event or thing in the natural course itself. This metamorphosed into the value system, and became the one that gave a push. Perhaps, in those times, for all activities other than the biological necessities, and in some cases, even for those needs, push, was a must. (Now, with a well informed populace, is there a need to continue with it? I think, this is a point to ponder)
As we can gather from the above, from the earliest generations of humans, all would have been benefiting greatly from this. The more so, in the early days, since, they would have been still learning to derive pleasure from the many attributes and worth of all that is found in nature.
A significant property of values that are accorded is that these mostly act in opposition to the naturally occurring equivalents. Of course, initially, this fact would have escaped our notice, since we were yet to derive ways of sensing, identifying, and measuring, an intrinsic value. Hence, all the accorded values assumed a permanent spot in our social edifice, and continued to remain there. Now, we have become talented and more capable of deriving pleasure from all the things and events that occur naturally. There is hardly any need to augment those, leave alone instituting fresh, abstract values. Unlike the early days, these abstract values now collide with those occur in the natural sphere.
Now, stage is set for a clash. We know it, and will try corrections everywhere other than our value system, which, even though is not serving an essential need. Now, those corrections result in making our life more and more comfortable, while the clash continue to trouble us, off and on. After a while, we reach an ‘intelligent’ conclusion, clash is a perennial part of human race.
All this points to the dire need for an overhaul, as I proposed.
Let us say, during overhaul, we will be finding the answer to all the questions that arise.
