Importance Of Human Values During Adversity

Human values are the virtues that guide us to take into account the human element when we interact with other human beings. Values are the links that ties personal perceptions and judgments, motives and actions together into one. Through values, Humans are able to make meaning of their social and political life. Also, they are fundamental to understanding man and society. They are also essential in improving man and society.

• Human values refer to the fundamental inherent moral inclinations that enhance fundamental goodness in human beings and the society at large. They are the principles that human beings cherish and hold in common, consciously. They enable Humans to differentiate between “right and wrong” and provide the ways to understand other humans and organizations. These values can be formulated or expressed in many ways such as from practical examples to moral principles at the highest levels of generality. As human values are essentially ‘human’ they are not generally considered as divinely ordained rules of behaviour. They are related to differing cultures, unique individuals and situations and are developed and expressed in human terms for the collective human aims.

Basic Human Values that help to overcome Adversity

Adversities are part and parcel of life. It requires immense strength to deal with adverse situations. Human Values provide solutions to our adversities and their absence makes difficult situations complex. Adversities can be best tackled when these human values are inculcated -

• Truth: Truth does not depend upon the will or wish of the individual, but it is independent of their desires and related interests and opinions. Truth is eternal and unchanging, as it deals with ultimate and unchanging reality. It is marked with values like accuracy, fairness, honesty, sincerity, justice, fearlessness, integrity, quest for knowledge, determination, etc. Truth is important for making social bonds, and raising social capital, both of which helps people in coping with adversities.
• Love and Care: Love and care are the values which forms the ultimate basis of all human values. It is the fundamental principle which creates and sustains human relations with depth and dignity. Love is unselfish care and concern for the well-being of others and the society. Love and care in a society leads to trust and understanding with a belief in equality and goodwill towards all. A loving and caring individual and society do not indulge in violence. It is posed as an alternative to patriarchy, racism, capitalism, inequality, and injustice. Love challenges hegemony and builds peaceful societies. All this enables an individual and society to push through adverse conditions.
• Peace: Prolonged peace leads to building values like equality, humility, optimism, patience, self-confidence, self-control, self-esteem etc. Peace at the level of individual and society leads to harmony. It reduces social tensions and promotes care, concern and justice. In general peace is the absence of disturbance, violence, war and wrong doing but according to modern conceptions, it also includes peace of mind, and mental health and wellbeing. Peace results in mutual respect, brotherhood and tolerance in societies and individuals nurtured in such societies are able to face adversities gallantly.
• Non-Violence: Non-violence refers to restraint from consciously doing any harm through one’s thoughts, speech or action to any living or non-living being. It demands abstinence from hatred and nurturing love and compassion for all beings. A non-violent society is based on the pillars of compassion, love, kindness, which helps in preventing regional and communal tensions, and proliferation of unruly elements in the society.
• Responsibility: A society where the rich and powerful fulfills their responsibilities of protecting and providing for the weak and the poor is prosperous and flourishing. Every individual has a responsibility to avoid harm to creatures or their environment. A sense of responsibility prompts an individual to restrain from unethical behavior towards others. A society where the rich and powerful exploit the poor and the weak is not able to sustain when confronted with hardships.
• Justice: The idea of Justice is based on fairness where the equality of every individual before the law is fundamental. It is a value which aims to resolve and reduce conflict, and is guided by the principles of care and non-violence.

The aim of social justice is the common good of all. It is a major human value that embraces most aspects of social life and also promotes respect for all living beings. Faith in Justice allows individuals and societies to become resilient in times of hardship.