Values

On a Zoom discussion Thursday, one break-out group got onto discussing values – what, the question was, are truly your values? The group agreed that reflecting on and assessing one’s core values was a difficult and valuable regimen.

In follow-up to my catalog of my beliefs, developed in the same reflective and difficult process (Northwest Ruminations: Sept 11^th, below) here are what I regard as my values:

The Rghts to be Respected and to be Heard: everyone has value and deserves to be understood.

·          Facts, History and Science: information and perspective are necessary to dealing with the world.

·          Pragmatism: what works trumps ideology and theory.

W     Equity, Justice, and Fairness         

        Life: living beings are connected in a web of force, the origin of which is unknowable. Best bet: treat sensate beings as sacred.

·           Skepticism: a grain of salt is a required ingredient for effective citizenship.

·           Community: better to go slow by consensus and collaboration than fast alone; I’ll go further in the end.     

·           Accountability, i.e., accepting and acknowledging responsibility for one’s (my) acts.

·           Humility: nobody likes a know-it-all – and you don’t know it all.

·           Loving: healthier than hating – for everyone.

·           Empathy, the glue holding community together.

·           Compassion and Forgiveness.

·           Foresight.

F      Freedom, to be exercised and granted to others.