What are the Moral Values?
According to the dictionary, values are “things that have an intrinsic worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor,” or “principles, standards, or qualities considered worthwhile or desirable.” When we talk about moral values, then we infer relative values that are not only quintessential for the protection of life but also respects the dual life value of self and others. Few instances of moral values are honesty, charity, truth etc. One aspect that is common in all is that they are life-enhancing and therefore must be under regular examination to make sure that they are performing their life-protecting mission. In a way moral values are a distinctive set of worthy principles that a person uses as a guideline to distinguish between ‘Good values’ and ‘Bad values’. These are generally connected to basic human emotions and life experiences that encourage us in different forms.
What are Etiquettes?
According to the dictionary, they are the rules of polite and correct behaviour. These are basically formal manners that are showcased especially in a formal or a professional setting. These conventional set of rules are crucial to show respect and consideration for fellow beings. Without the proper code of conduct, politeness from society will start to disappear.
“Moral values” and “Etiquettes” are pivotal in a culture, but they are usually getting redefined. So let’s understand the root meaning of these widely debated concepts in the society:
While moral values are fundamental values used to guide us through what is right and what is wrong. Whereas, etiquettes are behaviours that are agreed upon by society and are used to navigate social situations. These two concepts are on the same end of the spectrum but they differ in terms of their scale and magnitude of impact. In such a context, moral values are held in common by the society whereas etiquette is on a trivial scale that is concerned with extremely intricate and immaculate details of conduct, dictated by the community norms.
As much crucial it is to ponder over these subjects, it is equally important to focus on “Good values” and “Bad values”. In the book “The subtle art of not giving a F*CK”, Good and Bad values have been defined as the following:
GOOD VALUES:
- Evidence-based
- Constructive
- Controllable
- Emotion-based
- Destructive
- Uncontrollable
BAD VALUES:
People often feel that good and bad are synonyms to what is right and what is wrong respectively. However, when we talk about being right, by no means do we mean logical correctness rather we point towards conforming to the rules which are the social norms of morality. Essentially, good values are triggered from within while bad value values from outside or external forces. A value system is derived from the experiences that a person has had, henceforth the definition of good-bad values would be subjective for each individual. What might be good for a person, might not be for some other person. These values are also about prioritisation. So the values that you prioritise over everything else can be good or bad and thus influencing your decision making in a likewise manner.
The reason why it is significant to inculcate moral values in a person is to ensure that they lead a life in which they enjoy the process so much that they are not worried about the end of the consequence. The connotation of this is to enjoy the process to the fullest such that it becomes an end in itself. As we are a product of our environment and experience beliefs and value systems it is of utmost importance that we ingrain a good value system in the child from the formative years itself. With the value system such as honesty, compassion, the feeling of brotherhood, also comes “etiquette” which is at the micro-level but equally important. In this debate of etiquette vs moral values, there should not be any kind of hierarchy in terms of the choice. In fact, there shouldn’t be a choice between the two because the combination of both these aspects is crucial for leading a life with a positive outlook.
Must Read: Values and Ethics of Corporate World
