Values

Wow, I got off to a great running start by posting blogs for three consecutive days after starting this thing! So much for that... it's hard to find time to sit down and write one of these things while trying to juggle work and an attempt at a personal life. Anyway, let's talk about values. No, I'm not referring to the fact that Harris Teeter is currently advertising buy 2 get 3 free cans of tuna. Nor am I referring to the fact that Fox and the Hound serves half-price bottles of wine on Wednesdays (local business owners, feel free to contact me for some low-cost sales pitches). Granted, I love value items, but the other day I chose a double cheeseburger over the cheaper McDouble and that extra slice of cheese was worth every additional penny... no, I'm talking about a more important form of values.

A few weeks ago I was driving home from work and I realized how refreshing it is to know people who have solid values. Yes, even more refreshing than [insert product advertising here]. I've always gravitated towards people who have similar values to me... it's natural and I think most people do the same thing, whether it be a conscious or unconscious decision. I've realized that while a person's set of values is extremely important, what is probably more important is how strongly that person clings to those values. Obviously this statement can't be true 100% of the time; don't post any comments asking me whether I'd rather be friends with someone who follows the teachings of Jesus 75% of the time or someone who follows... I don't know, Satan, 100% of the time. Think about it though, imagine person A and person B. Person A believes everything you do, you have the exact same values and beliefs, at least on paper. You think person B is a pretty decent human being, but you don't see eye to eye on some details. Person A is weaker, and when their values are seriously tested, they falter. Person B is probably the most stubborn person you've ever met when it comes to what they believe is right. No situation compromises their integrity. Whom do you trust? I know what my answer would be.

I know a few people who are, for lack of a better description, stubborn as hell. Sometimes it's a pretty frustrating trait, especially when it carries over into decisions such as what kind of food to eat. In the end though, it can be a bit refreshing. I admire these people for a lot of reasons... except for when I don't get the food I want.... but deep down most of us are conscious of our weaknesses and it's just encouraging to know people who convey such strength sometimes. These people know who they are and what they want/value in life and they stick to it. On the other hand, when you discover that people who give the appearance of having strong values really can't stick to them under pressure, you feel a sense of disappointment in not only them but in humanity. An individual's set of values cannot be (though it often is) measured in terms of the belief system they claim to have or the religion they claim to follow. Any person on earth can sit in a cave for eternity and successfully follow the Ten Commandments. A person's values can only truly be measured by how well they fit into and positively affect the complex social structure that human beings have created and their reactions to those events that only other human beings can create. A person whose values have not been tested cannot necessarily be trusted on certain things any more than a person with no values at all.

This realization naturally led me to consider the source of values, something I'll address in my next blog. Clemson's coming out strong against Virginia Tech so I'm going to have to concentrate on that instead.