Objectives:
- Become familiar with the basic relationship of human values to psychological and philoshopical endeavors.
- Understand that values are formed from external and internal drives of an individual.
- Explore one’s own value system.
From January 19th, 2014
Today I slept in, spent time on the phone with my mom and watched the Seahawks with a group of friends. I also did a little bit of homework and ate a healthy lunch. I check in with my parents at least once daily on the phone because of my top value “family”, and I usually text my sister throughout the week. Although I didn’t exercise today I got plenty of sleep and ate healthy because of my regard for good health. I am dedicated to my schoolwork and accomplished a few necessary assignments today. Although doing so could be linked to my 5th top value “wisdom” I think my insistence on finishing my homework is more related to my diligence and work ethic. The rest of my day was filled up with social activities. I did not include friendship as a top value even though I am a very social person. I did so because I think the term “community” is a more inclusive term.
I inherited many of my values from my mother and father. My family is very close and we communicate with each other about nearly everything. This open relationship with my parents and my sister has put them at the center of my value system because they are my closest friends and my foundation. I also have come to value community and service because of my mother. She has always been involved through volunteering at my schools, hosting work-related parties and events and her continued desire to serve those around her. My father is an eccentric academic and has always placed significant value on knowledge and wisdom; because of this, I have acquired his taste for curiosity. Lastly, although my family is relatively healthy, I place a higher value on it because I have encountered many health issues in my past. After having a hip replacement surgery and an ongoing heart issue, I have come to value my health significantly and I take steps daily to take ensure my overall wellbeing.
Reflection:
The four core mediums for deciding values are sense experience, deductive logic, emotion, and intuition according to Lewis (1990). This article goes on to state these “…modes not only describe how we approach things in general, they also describe how we develop and choose values” (11). After reflecting back on my values I want to discuss how these modes influence my dependence on my family for my value systems. For me, my emotional connection to my family is my way of knowing what my values are and why they are important to me. I think my main reason for choosing health as a second value is not because I am a fitness freak, but because I understand that without health, there is nothing else. When I was 17 I was diagnosed with a hip disorder which imposes permanent restrictions on my mobility. The experience of my diagnosis and my surgery was emotionally traumatizing for me. Throughout it, I learned a lot about what was important to me.
Specifically, my family influence has been a guiding force in setting an example for values. First, I got my value for community from my grandpa. There were several families in his rural community who remember my grandfather not by his authoritative position as a Sheriff but by the way he truly understood what people needed and how he could help. A younger man suffering with substance abuse once confessed to a friend of my grandfather’s that he would intentionally get arrested so he could enjoy the company of m grandpa and have a warm place to sleep. One of the most powerful and consistent things my grandpa did was take in kids in the community when their home life couldn’t give them what they needed.
My grandpa, Jack, and I at 3 months old.
I learned about Service from my mother. She is a strong woman of many hats: lawyer, mother, school volunteer, activist, office manager, seamstress, counselor, organizer, baker, accountant, runner, musician and friend. If there is one thing she isn’t good at, it is saying no. If there is an opportunity for her to serve a community that she is invested in, she says yes. As a child, her efforts sometimes went unnoticed. During spring of my 8th grade year I was in the final preparations for my debut as Maria in the Sound of Music, a 5 night musical rendition showing at our local high school auditorium. She continues to be involved in serving her community today.
My mom speaking at an Indonesian conference on Asset Forfeiture.
I learned about wisdom from my dad. He is a worldly man of many interests, philosophies, and pearls of wisdom. I often tell my friends my dad is cooler than I am because his adventurous curiosities have exposed me to everything from social movements, to meditation, to music, to art, to literature, to culture and to travel. He is happily retired from working 30 years for the Oregon Youth Authority and spends his time now volunteering at the library, practicing yoga, cooking, writing, exercising and enjoying art, music, and literature, expansively.
My dad and me during a trip to The Netherlands
Learning Goals:
I am a psychology major and spend a lot of my time already contemplating the motivations behind my own behaviors and those behaviors of the people around me. However, I often neglect reflecting on the philosophical reasons and the larger, more systematic reasons that affect that values that affect people’s actions. My main goal is to explore philosophical reading more and look into the epistemological ways in which we come about developing values. I also want to use the exercise of this chapter to guide my daily actions. Another goal of mine is to post my top five goals in a visible place in my room and my planner so that I can see them several times throughout the day and take actions that reflect these priorities.
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