How do we define value? As the author says, “value is often used loosely, it should be synonymous with personal evaluation and related beliefs, especially personal evaluations and related beliefs about the ‘good’, the ‘just’ and the ‘beautiful,’ personal evaluation and beliefs that propel us to action, to a particular kind of behavior and life” (7). I agree with him that one’s values are based on personal evaluation and related beliefs. Some people may think our values are instinct. However, the author also indicates, “human beings are not primarily driven by genetically determined instincts but are rather free to make their own choices” (7). That is to say, human values can be changed as the development of human being themselves and other conditions such as time, places and interpersonal communication.
If value is not instinct, how does it form? The formation of value can be influenced by our parents. For example, I am very clear about how to distinguish “good” and “evil”. The criteria of judging “good” and “evil” is my personal value. Where does it come from? It comes from my parents. Since I was a little girl, my mom told me Snow White was good, the Queen was bad; my dad told me the angle was good, the demo was evil. Once they told me, I believed and remembered what they said. In the fact, I automatically defaulted the criteria as my value. Of course, some values are changeable when you go to a new place and meet new people. The surroundings will affect one’s values. Four years ago, it was my first time to visit the United States. I defined myself as an “employee”, a “good employee”. I had never thought I would be a “boss” someday. In other worlds, I don’t want to be a leader in a group because I didn’t want to mess up. Nevertheless, I joined HuaFeng magazine, a Chinese student-run magazine of University of Oregon, in my sophomore year. I was an editor and writer in the first two terms. When I started to learn design and editing stuffs in my J-school classes, I found my potential ability in design. At that time, HuaFeng magazine was looking for an editor in chief that had both editing and design skills, and then I became the new editor in chief. My updated skills and the opportunity pushed me to change my old value and embraced new challenges. I gained very useful experience and improved my communication skills. Therefore, our values are not permanent, and they are developing all the time.
I agree with your stance that our parents influence the formation of our personal values. Their behavior towards us then becomes the main reference of what is valuable, so we then are influenced by that leading example. This definitely strengthens our overall formation of values. I also agree with you that ones values can change as they experience different situations in life. I am glad that you have found a niche in being an editor and that you’ve changed your perspective about your potential. I am curious about what specifically made you feel confident in being a “boss” so-to-speak? I believe that Lewis’ basic models helps with developing our personal values. Did any of the 4 basic models (sense experience, deductive logic, emotion, intuition) that H. Lewis mentioned come into play in deciding whether or not you wanted to be editor in chief? If so, which one had the most influence?
-Dexter
Thanks for your comments, Dexter! Being a “boss” or a “leader” needs confidence in the specific area that you are engaged in. I think I am being confident because I learnt a lot from my J-school classes and also found what I really want to do in the future. When I took my major classes, I explored and built my skills in design and editing. According to Lewis’s basic models of developing personal value, I think sense experience was the most influential reason for me to be editor in chief. I saw my works and grades, and I heard others’ suggestions about if I had ability to be editor in chief. Furthermore, emotion also pushed me to make that decision. I felt that I should challenge myself to do something that I had never done before. I’m not sure whether or not one’s personal value is a subjective thing. There are many aspects that may affect one’s initial value.