Unit Objectives
- Understand that values are formed from external and internal drives of an individual.
- Explore one’s own value system.
Original Post: Life Values Assessment
Reflection
The life values assessment we completed for week two allowed me to clearly understand what values are most important to me. I had a pretty good idea of my values before this class, but this assignment explicitly highlighted the values that are most important to me. This assignment also allowed me to explore my own value system, which is one of the unit objectives. By exploring my own value system I was able to understand that values are formed from both external and internal forces. A significant external driver of my value system is my family and how I was raised. My family is also played a significant role in my week five essay given they have a certain stance on body adornment. Below is a picture of my dad, brother and myself at my brothers wedding. A wedding is a special time because two families come together and become one.
Enjoyment is more of an internal value of mine because although my family values enjoyment, I believe in being happy with yourself and without needing distractions at all times.
This assignment really forces me to think and consider what drives my choices, decisions, and actions. What spoke very clearly is how big of a role my family plays in my life. Almost, if not all, of my values come from my family, which speaks to how I was taught valuable lessons at a young age. By having 20 values to consider I realized there were some values such as, independence, that may not come from my family’s values. The value of independence is more of an internal drive rather than an external one. This led me to the conclusion that values are formed from external and internal drives of an individual. The whole foundation of this assignment was to explore our value system, which is why I was able to meet the unit objective. Having wisdom as one of my top five values made me think of the reading for week two. The reading explains the most basic ways we come to know something, “In any case, it should become clear on reflection that there are very few interior mental modes through which we come to “believe” or “know” (Lewis 9). This quote speaks to how we gain knowledge, which also increases another one of my top five values: personal development.
Future
In the future some of my values may change as I gain more experiences and lessons. Ever since this course, I have been more aware of how my values drive my choices and actions. I want to continue this awareness, as it is beneficial to increase self-awareness. I’m intrigued to see what my values are 10-20 years from now and how they change, but I’m sure family and personal development will still be very important.