Human values are the moral and ethical principles that guide a person’s life. They are part of the formation of conscience and the way to act and relate in a society. Human values definition
Human values are standards of conduct that can determine important decisions and ensure that coexistence between people is peaceful, honest and fair.
Values are socially constructed and will guide decisions and guarantee some principles that govern actions and, consequently, human life.
Examples of human values
There are many values that are important in any context or place and can be considered universal values. They must be cultivated to ensure an ethical and healthy coexistence among people who are part of a society.
Get to know some of these values now.
1. Respect
Respect is the ability to consider other people’s feelings . It is one of the most important values in the conduct of a person’s life, as it can influence decisions, relationships and the way of life. Human values definition
This value can be manifested in different ways. One example is respect for differences. In a society, there are different ways of living and thinking, as well as different perceptions about life. For a good collective coexistence to be positive, it is essential to cultivate and exercise respect for different people and decisions.
Respect also has another meaning. The concept also refers to obedience to the rules that are determined in a society and that must be followed for order to be guaranteed, even if one disagrees with them. An example of this is the obligation to respect and comply with the laws of a country.
The dream of equality only grows in the field of respect for differences. (Augusto Cury)
2. Honesty
Honesty is a fundamental human value and can influence every aspect of a person’s life. Having honesty means acting ethically and truthfully in human relationships and in the fulfillment of obligations, acting in accordance with ethical principles.
However, the feeling of honesty is not only associated with external relationships, in relationships between people. Honesty is also linked to the individual’s own conscience, which acts with integrity in relation to their own feelings and principles.
No heritage is as rich as honesty. (William Shakespeare)
3. Humility
Humility is a very valuable virtue in an individual’s life, as it means their ability to recognize their faults or their difficulties . The concept of humility is related to the idea of acting with modesty, having simplicity in their attitudes and knowing how to recognize their own limitations. Human values definition
This characteristic is based on the ability to recognize oneself as an incomplete individual, recognizing their own difficulties and enabling the realization of new experiences and learning.
Humility also has another meaning, linked to the relationship between people. In certain cases, the concept can refer to the way of acting with equality towards other people, as a demonstration of respect.
Humility is the foundation and foundation of all virtues and without it there is none. (Miguel de Cervantes)
4. Empathy
Empathy is a person’s ability to perceive other people’s feelings , putting yourself “in their shoes”. It is an important value to maintain good human relationships because from it it is possible to understand the thoughts and attitudes of others.
Developing empathy involves being able to step away from your own ideas and beliefs and look at an issue with someone else’s perception.
It is characterized by being an attitude of generosity towards others, demonstrating the importance given to the feelings of others. Human values definition
This value helps to better understand the other people with whom one lives, it is based on the idea of understanding the other as if they were experiencing a situation through their perspective.
Being empathetic is seeing the world through the eyes of another and not seeing our world reflected in their eyes. (Carl Rogers)
5. Sense of justice
Having a sense of fairness means having the ability to assess the existence of fairness or injustice in situations . Being fair is having as a principle of life to act with integrity and equality, making correct decisions, both for yourself and for others.
A sense of justice can also manifest itself in the capacity for indignation.
Faced with a situation of injustice, the person feels obliged to intervene, opposing that situation, even though it is not an event in relation to himself.
When an individual who has a keen sense of justice notices a situation that manifests unfair conduct, he or she usually acts to try to resolve the issue.
If you stay neutral in unfair situations, you choose the oppressor’s side. (Desmond Tutu)
6. Education
Education, as a human value, means acting in a cordial, polite and loving way. It is knowing how to relate to others following principles of good relationships, which should be based on mutual respect. Human values definition
Acting with education in human relationships is knowing how to live with different people, in different environments, always acting with respect for all people, in all situations. Education also manifests itself in not having certain attitudes, such as not disrespecting other people.
Education also refers to learning and human development processes, which can take place formally or informally. Formal education is that received at school and colleges during a person’s school life. Informal (or non-formal) education is education received from the family, based on ethical and moral principles.
Educate the children and it will not be necessary to punish the men. (Pythagoras)
7. Solidarity
Solidarity is the ability to have sympathy and attention with another person , which demonstrates the appreciation and importance given to other people. This feeling is characterized by a real interest in joining someone’s suffering or need, helping them in whatever way possible.
For solidarity to be put into practice, feelings of detachment, empathy and compassion are needed.
One of the most common ways to exercise solidarity is to help another person without expecting any retribution for their act. It is possible to be supportive in many ways, whether by giving attention and moral support to a person or through material help. Human values definition
8. Ethics
Ethics can be defined as the gathering of principles that determine a person’s attitudes. Thus, acting ethically means living in accordance with fundamental moral values .
According to Philosophy, ethics is a set of determining principles for human behavior and for life in society.
Aristotle described that ethics had three foundations: the use of reason, the decision for good conduct and the feeling of happiness. For him, an ethical life would only be possible if the individual managed to find a compromise between excesses and omissions.
To be an ethical person is to be aware of the importance of fulfilling one’s duty and acting with justice in view of the common good of society. Human values definition
Values Crisis
Nowadays, the existence of a crisis of human values is discussed, which would be the distancing from the ethical and moral principles that should be cultivated by all people. A lot is said that this crisis is due to social changes that allowed a change or flexibilization of values.
For this reason, everyone needs to be aware of their thoughts and actions. This self-observation is fundamental so that values are not relativized, that is, that the fundamental principles of ethics and morals are not forgotten, regardless of situations or social contexts.
