Most Crucial Changes In Value Systems

Bharat Dogra

There is increasing recognition in the context of resolving some of the most critical problems in the world that the prevailing widespread value systems are not in accordance with the solutions that are needed. While the changes in governance that are needed get more obvious attention, it is also increasingly realised that at the grassroot level changes in prevailing values are needed on a very wide scale, and these changes should be stable and sustainable.

This is often recognised to be important, yet this is generally neglected. What we often see are more limited efforts linked to any particular religion. These have several limitations. We need wider secular changes in values which can be acceptable to people of all religions and to atheists as well.

Once there can be wide agreement on such changes in value systems, then the chances of a successful campaign for spreading these values will certainly increase.

Here we suggest three important values which reinforce and support each other.

Firstly, we should not intentionally cause any distress to any one. We should be very careful to try to live and behave in ways which do not cause distress to other people and life forms. This appears to be a very simple statement but it has very wide implications in terms of changes it brings in our daily life. At a policy level also one can think of big changes related to this simple but important value.

Secondly, there should be no discrimination and discriminative injustice based on nationality, religion, caste, ethnicity, colour, gender etc. We are all equal and should imbibe the value of accepting all fellow-human beings as equal.

However if strong discriminative injustice existed historically on the  basis of these narrow identities and considerations then positive justice-based steps are needed for those who have suffered --- for the duration of such time as is needed to bring equality.

What is important is that narrow-minded thinking which creates hostile feelings on the basis of narrow identities has to end and instead there should be this very strong human value that we are all equal citizens of this world, all are equal children of this earth. If this simple value is imbibed since childhood, a lot of violence, conflict and injustice in the world will end. 

Thirdly, we should accept the great desirability of living a simple life of limited needs, a life based on real needs and not on unlimited greed. The prevailing culture of consumerism lends prestige to all sorts of unnecessary and exaggerated consumption based on greed and false notions of a desirable life-style. This in turn contributes to a lot of violence at various levels, wars and massive ecological ruin. On the other hand, the voluntary acceptance of a simple life (in which all basic needs and some comforts are fulfilled but nothing more is desired) by most people will create much more conducive conditions for peace and for environment protection.

These mutually helpful and supportive crucial values are of such a nature that it is possible to reach wide agreement on spreading them and giving them a crucial role in educational systems worldwide. Very creative efforts should be made to give these values an important place in school and college education. These values are secular values of such a nature that these can be accepted by people of all religions as well by religion sceptics and atheists.

At a time when the world faces critical and unprecedented challenges of peace, justice and environment protection, the sustained spread of such value systems from childhood onwards will be helpful for resolving the most critical problems before it is too late.

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Feb 20, 2020