From words to actions: living our values

It is a very good sign that today an increasingly large number of intelligentsia have now started raising their voice about the need to practise values in order to improve the quality of life and to make the world a better place to live in. It is a sign of this Age and also of intellectualism that once people take up a topic for serious discussion, they begin to analyse it, dissect it, describe it and give a detailed explanation of it from various aspects. For an in-depth study, and in keeping with the spirit of the times it is alright. But all these discussions and descriptions lose their purpose and charm if we merely intellectualise them and do not take care to give spiritual content to them and also put them into practice.

We all know that vitamins are of great value as they remove certain deficiencies and provide us with certain essential nutritive components, however, mere talk of vitamins, without taking required ones in our physical system, would not help us in any way. Similarly, merely talking about values has its own value but it does not take the place of the values we talk about. Most of the people living in modern society talk about values for two reasons. One of these is that it has become fashionable to talk about them as there is a powerful wave or current and one would like to go with the current and not against it. A few years ago, nobody would talk about moral values, attitudes and moods, but today these are hot topics which are discussed everywhere and perhaps they are one of the most popular subjects for conversation, discussion, dialogue, conference and articles. Some people might talk on these subjects to show that they also are with the spirit of the times, however the need in this case is that they should themselves realise the value of Values and not merely be carried with the current.

Secondly, as famous psychologist Carl Jung has said in his writings on psychology that 'man wears masks' and he calls these — 'persona'. It’s a fact that most of us wear various masks in order to seek acceptance, commendation and praise. However, this mask does not represent our real self. So, even though a person who talks of values, he may, in truth, be the very opposite of it and he might not be practising it, in his personal life. In that case, it would be mere hypocrisy and it will do dis-service to the very cause. For, when people discover that men in power and high position talk of values but do not practise them, they become disillusioned. They lose hope. Especially, when they see that a great majority of people violate values in practical life though they beat trumpets about Values in public life, they feel frustrated. This then gives rise to a negative wave that counteracts the noble work of promotion of values.

So, in such matters, hypocrisy is the worst enemy and sincerity is the real friend and real promoter. We must therefore properly emphasise on two things while we discuss Values. One is that we must practise Values in our life and the other is that if a person talks of a value but does not practise it, let him speak about it and tell people that this Value is important and that he also will now start practising it. Let him be sincere in his efforts, else he will be doing great dis-service. Sincerity prepares the mind for other virtues also. It enables other values to grow strong and grow fast. It wins the hearts of others and enables a person to be nearer to God. This virtue is a fast friend of Honesty, Integrity, Truthfulness, Simplicity and Clean Heartedness. As it comes—crookedness, deceit, hypocrisy, the habit to hide and seek, dishonesty, etc., leave their nest and run away from a person's mind. So, let sincerity in our mind be cultivated earnestly and enthusiastically because sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.

The writer is a spiritual educator & popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal & the UK. Views expressed are personal