Values play an important role in binding people together. They form part of the overarching framework of society, shared as root assumptions of people. Smaller groups, too, develop their own values. Whenever people gather and face challenges, some set of values inevitably emerges. They are constructed from generation after generation of learned knowledge that are applied to the struggles of today.
 |
| Representation of ancient universal values being shared in a group |
In such cases, the values guiding decisions may differ from the values of the community at large. Victims, perpetrators, and observers may each hold their own sets of values. A risk arises if corruption or hate leads to choices that are generally not helpful for everyone else.
Because people often define their values through the groups they identify with, individuals who engage in harmful behaviors may still be celebrated as champions by those who share their distorted views. The fish in the fishbowl.
The Story of the Clan illustrates how hate and corruption can impact some positions and groups—but also encouraging a higher moral conscious can strengthen social cohesion and even foster economic growth. In the philosophical example, the community ultimately rejected distorted clan-based values, to the frustration of those invested in maintaining them.
What becomes clear is that these distorted values were not accidental; they were cultivated within tight-knit circles that recognized the social and financial benefits of promoting them. Group members came to see each other as moral, despite the harm they caused—a cult-like mindset carrying itself toward its own natural conclusion.
This thought experiment helps us examine how harmful values can form, spread, and sustain themselves, while also encouraging reflection on healthier alternatives. Fostering good values in our communities and encouraging people who reflect those shared values of togetherness to take leading roles can help. It is a slow process but it does strengthen binding as expectations are built upward from the communities in an organic and natural way.
At the heart of it is this: binding moral values gain strength through close relationships, but their content depends on the community that shapes them. Thus, encourage strong values on a community level so those with distorted values have greater social and moral incentives to realign. All people within the community have value and only through shared commitment to a bright future will people succeed.
The best advice, then, is to form your own values from a variety of sources. Look at the different societal values, your personal values, universal values, so on and so forth. Create a personal sense of perspective that uplifts your community as much as possible. Always try and do the best for the most amount of people and think about the long-term impact of those values for generations to come. Foster what is good in each other so that it can strengthen communal values. Support those who already have those values and have displayed those values consistently; versus when they are convenient.
This is a thoughtful idea on how accepting the most humble of values can lead to stronger leadership.
He who is not a good servant will not be a good master. Plato
You may be interested in this study on binding values.
Binding moral values gain importance in the presence of close others
*This is a hypothetical, theoretical, philosophical learning thought experiment so take with a grain of salt. It is ok to disagree.
No comments:
Post a Comment