Why values matter

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I have fond yet fleeting memories of studying a subject called "Value Education" in my school (in India). Our teachers would narrate short stories with morals, and we would learn about values like kindness, compassion, ethics, morals, community care… At that early age, I mostly liked this class because it was easy, relaxing, and helped my grades.

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Fast forward to adult life, it feels as though this class should have meant more in our education system. The collective values we inculcate while growing up shape much of our shared experiences. A lot of value education happens outside our homes in environments with our peer group.

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If we think deeply about the diverse crisis we are aging through - the wars amongst belief systems, climate change, unethical or irresponsible AI, hate crimes, inequity and poverty… they all stem from a misalignment in core values that humanity rests on.

I wish I could go back to school and re-take those classes with more earnestness. I hope that as next-gen parents and care givers, we hold our education systems more accountable to making "value education" an integral of our learning from the very beginning. So that we leave our workplaces, communities, and countries better than how we found them.

#valuesystems #conscience #makebetterchoices