The top 5 values in the life values assessment that I picked were family, health, friendship, security and independence. Today’s activities were nothing crazy, but consisted of homework, work, grocery shopping and more homework. When I think about each of these activities in comparison to the some of values that I chose I would say for the most part they are intertwined. I must complete my homework each day and on time as a means of security of a good grade. With that I am also working independently on each assignment. I have to go to work everyday that I am scheduled for security of a job, security of a paycheck and in turn security that I can pay for the groceries that I put into my fridge. With that comes health. If I did not have a job to pay for food I would not be in good health, and given how much moving around I do at work I don’t think I would be in quite as good of shape that I am in physically. When I went grocery shopping I did it with my roommate who is also one of my best friends, so that in turn correlates with friendship and in a smaller way family.

I think that in choosing each of these values I realize that they are all belief patterns inherited from my family. For the most part growing up my parents were really keen on me working hard for the things that I had and being as independent as possible. They were also intent on teaching me the importance of security. Meaning that I always be safe with my money. It is really hard for me to think of any kind of belief pattern they instilled in me that has authority over my thinking yet is no longer valid because I believe that each belief they wanted me to believe I learned to do so not only because they taught me, but also through being put into situations so often where they were so important to use. As far as goals that I have for myself that I have yet to pursue, I want to take some time off to travel to another country or multiple countries once I am finished with school and I also hope to pursue a career in a big city somewhere outside of the northwest. The only thing that stands in my way of pursuing those goals as of now is school, debt from student loans and the means to make traveling happen. Once I do have my degree I can only hope that it will take me to a city I want to live in, but until then I just have to keep working hard.

Life Values List:

Family

Health

Friendship

Security

Independence

Location

Integrity

Loyalty

Wisdom

Enjoyment

Leadership

Service

Creativity

Personal Development

Personal Accomplishment

Community

Wealth

Expertness

Prestige

Power

Upon finishing this weeks reading A Question of Values the point that I found most interesting and can agree with most is the difference in categorizing human instinct to that of human values. I believe that these two correlate with one another, but are in themselves two entirely different concepts.

Human instinct is exactly what it makes itself out to be, a natural and innate behavior in humans. Instinct is a behavior that happens intuitively without much thought. On the other hand I would say that values are the opposing kind of behavior or act to happen when humans are put into certain situations. A persons values are based upon what they learn. When we are born we are not born with any kind of value system like in the way that we are born with a flight or fight response system–a type of instinctual behavior. Instead we grow in a household, a community, a society, a nation and a world coming to learn what kind of values we hold for ourselves and for those around us. Values are, to put it simply, a matter of choice. As Lewis states it “This is a complicated subject, but there is a good deal of evidence that human beings are not primarily driven by genetically determined instincts but are rather free to make their own choices” (7).  What Lewis is saying is that although instinct lives in all of us, and at times it is used, it is not the primary behavior we fall to in making decisions. The way in which I believe these two correlate is that when faced with a situation there is a moment where instinctually we think to act or respond to the situation, but when it comes down to it how we do decide to act in that situation is not based on our instinct but instead encompassed in the kind of values we hold. We respond to that situation in the way that will best uphold or value system.

A question I have for anyone in the class would be if they could think of a situation that they were ever put in where instinctually they thought to respond to it one way, but in the end responded to it differently because of the kind of values that they hold.