VOL. 43 NO. il
HEAD OFFICE: MONTREAL,
DECEMBER
1962
On Having
a Senseof Values
A SENSEOF VALUESis needed
in private
lifeas wellas
butitsgreatevents
andgreatpromise
canbe seenonly
in themarketplace.Allourliveswe areexercising by thosewhostandon a levelwiththem.
choices,
preferring
thisto that,deciding
between
The thingswe value today are built upon the
betterandworse.
wisdomand workof manycenturies.
Therehas been
Lifewouldbe uninteresting
anddrabif we didnot
little
change
in us physically
w thehandle
of a Bronze
setforourselves
certain
goalsandcommitourselves Ageswordfitsourhandas wellas it didthehandof
to somemethodforkeeping
score.
its originalowner.And even thoughour social
environment
hasaltered
a greatdeal,theconservative
The thingswe want take many forms.Professor
structures
and functions
thatwereso usefulin the
E. J. Urwick,
whowasfrom1925to 1937on thestaff
past are the frameworkaroundwhichnew social
of the University
of Toronto,wroteaboutsomeof
order
isbuilt.
them in The Valuesof Life, a book in which he
discussed
values
related
toideals,
friendship,
wealth,
Everything
thatexistsis in a constantstateof
progress,
knowledge,
labour,simplicity
and other
becoming
something
else.Humanlifeis likea journey
desirable
things.
on whicheverystepbringsus to a different
view.We
As a resultof themassiveaccretion
of knowledge arepartof a stream
flowing
fromthefirstgermtothe
in the past hundredyears,many men and women,
remoteandunknownfuture.Oursenseof valueswill
eventhosewho arewell-educated,
are compelled
to
enableus to makesurethatit is a flowfromminusto
admit:"I don’tknow whatto think."Livingin a
plus,frommediocrity
to distinction.
democracy,we cannot ask that a committeeof
Changeof thought
or activity
or direction
is not
philosophers
shallmeetbehindcloseddoorsto decide
naturally
acceptable
to allpeople.
Thosewhodo not
forallofus themoralandaesthetic
values
thatareto
expectchangearefrightened
by it.Wisepeoplemake
guideourhopesanddictateouractions.
We haveto
allowance
forit.AlfredNorthWhitehead
gavesound
facethe questions
personally,
becausewhatwe are
adviceto newspapermen,
advicewhichis applicable
deciding
uponis thekindof lifeweindividually
would
to allof us:"Youcanappendnotesat thebottomof
liketolive.
yourleading
articles
explaining
thatthisiswhatlooks
We havebeenrelieved
of theeconomic
and social
truetoday,but thattomorrowit may be something
pressureswhichplaguedour forefathers;
now we
quite
different."
needto standon guardagainst
beingsatisfied
with
A good sense of valuesdoes not keep company
shoddy
andshamexperiences.
Ourlives,
likehistory, witha hardened
senseof consistency.
Thinking
must
turnuponsmallhinges.Our day-to-day
decisions
be an activeprocess
if it is to keepup witha world
aboutthethingswhichwe shallallowto matteradd
thatis moving,
and enableus to copewiththefact
upto thevalueorworthlessness
of ourexistence.
thatthe inconceivable
of oneage becomesthecomTheseare yearswhen we are exposedto apathy
monplace
of thenext.
andcynicism.
Somecriticsareuneasybecausethey
detecta lackof purpose
in thethings
we do,a trend
towardconformity,
passive
comfort
andunintelligent Increasein knowledge
pursuit
of ease.Theyfearthatevenyoungpeoplehave
Lookat the recordof the increasein knowledge
lostthe fondness
foradventure
whichwas oncethe
duringthe pastcentury.A hundredyearsago the
symbolof youth.
Smithsonian
Institution,
probably
theworld’s
largest
It was not towardan age of submissive
easiness, museum,catalogued
46,000objects;in 1952it had
growinga fatty tissuearoundvalues,that men
33,184,494.
In 1850theBritishMuseumadded14,266
struggled
through
theages,butrather
toward
broaden- books;a hundredyearslaterthe comparable
figure
inghorizons.
Thisis a timeof exciting
achievements, was51,419.
Of course,we cannotbe as sureas we wereonce
thatallchangeis progress.
We are quiterightto
modify
theideasin ourminds,justas we replace
the
furniture
in ouroffices
andhomes,butwe oughtnot
to throwout ideasmerelybecausetheyare old.A
hundredfirmly-held
concepts
aboutnaturewerealteredby theexperiments
and expeditions
of International
Geophysical
Year,butwhena man felland
brokehislegneartheSouthPolethegeophysicists
did
nottrytochange
thelawofgravity.
Everybusiness
manknowsthatchangein valuesis
oneof the components
of commerce.
An editorial
in
the HarvardBusinessReviewsaid:"Theexecutive
mustbe continually
and instinctively
makingorder
andrelation
outof unrelated
ideas.Meanings
arethe
executive’s
stockin trade.Themostimportant
aspect
ofhisjobistooperate
interms
ofvalues."
Everybusinessdecisionrequiresjudgment
based
upona deliberate
choicebetween
values.
Forexample,
if a mandoesn’t
knowtherelative
strength
of varying
valueshe cannotcomputetheprocessandeffectsof
advertising
andselling.
Therearetwo sortsof valuein economics:
value
in use,whichis utility,
andvaluein exchange,
which
is whatone gets for whatone has to disposeof.
Commodities
such as bread,air, and water,which
havethegreatest
valuein use,haveoftenthelowest
value in exchange.Commoditieswhich have the
highestvaluein exchange,
suchas diamonds,
curiosities
andpictures,
appear
tohavethelowest
utility.
recognition,
security,
health,
something
todo,a sense
ofgladness,
peaceofmind,a centre
ofgravity,
friends,
satisfaction
in workdone,zest.A writerputsomeof
thesetogether
andsuggested
fouressential
values:
to
feelhappyandat peacewiththeworld;to feelworthy
andnoble;
to feeleffective
andequal
to events;
tofeel
significant
as a co-worker
in thegreatongoing
processes
oflife.
It is essential
thatthe valueswe adoptandhold
shouldallowfor expansion.What mattersin the
history
of thehumanraceis essentially
a progress
to
higher
values.
It is by thisstandard
thatwejudgeour
forefathers,
and,whenthe timecomes,thatourage
shallbejudged.
We need,then,to keepaskingquestions
aboutour
valuesuntilwe arriveat rockbottom.
Building
a set
of valuesdemands
thatwe go behindtheslogansand
theeasyphrases
of quackreformers
andlookat ourselvesas we areandnotas we wishwe were.Learning
thetruthwillnotdestroy
or impairvaluesthatare
worthinvestigating.
If thetaskofdeveloping
oursenseof values
appears
to be at timestiresomeor irksome,we may remind
ourselvesthat we are in questof somethingmomentous,somethingbesidewhichall otherquests
seemsmall,but something
which,whenfound,will
makeallotherquests
significant.
Notabsolutes
Thisis not to say thatwe shouldbecomeintense
aboutthetask.Lookat thepaintings
of theMasters,
Mostof thescienceof economics
seemsto be made
whooftenfoundthemselves
underthenecessity
to put
up of attempts
to reacha satisfactory
balance
between a windowor an opendoorwayin the background
of
desirable
endsandthepriceto be paidforthem.In
theirpictures.
A truesenseof valueswillgiveits
allotherregions
of life,too,menshowtheirorderof
possessor
theabilityto avoidimprisoning
hislife
valuesby whattheyarewilling
to payforwhatthey
within
blankwalls.
consider
thegreater
good.To manymen,forexample,
Oursearch
forvalues
is nota search
forabsolutes,
wealthis notworththeprice,because
sometimes
fine
whichare unattainable.
Nobodyshouldexpectto be
things
mustbesacrificed
in getting
rich.
perfect,
orunduly
troubled
by thefactthathe isnot.
It
is
true
that
our
tradition
callsuponus to measure
Whatarevalues
?
ourselves
by a standard
whichfarexceeds
ourpowers
Ourindividual
valueshavebeenformedlittleby
to fulfil
in life,butperfection
wouldbea completion,
little,
likea coralreef.In childhood
ourvalues
are
without
possibility
of growth.
dictatedby our parents;in youthwe learnwhat
Vaguepeoplesprinkletheirconversations
with
teachersand leadersthinkis goodfor us; in our
absolutes:
"I want100per centof the best;I am a
adultliveswe aresubject
to thepressure
of public
100 per cent Canadian."
But as SidneyHookwrote
people,
thewriters
of newspapers
andmagazines,
the
in his surveyof TheHeroin History:
"Thereis no
selectors
of the"best"books.Without
testsof value
such thingas absolutehealth,absolutewisdom,
of our own we are at the mercyof everywindthat
absolute
democracy,
an absolutely
honestman -- or
blows.
an absolutely
fatone."
We needthecourage
to askandanswerthequestion:
Thisdoesnot meanthatour valuesshouldnot be
"Whatare my values?" An anthropologist
has said
sethigh,butthatouridealsmustbe adjusted
to the
thatthetwomostproductive
areasforinvestigation
of
capacities
of our humannature.It is a dangerous
the historyof man are his garbagedumpsand his
ardourwhich,urgingus to the absoluteheightsof
burials:
in thefirstwe findwhatourancestors
disperfection,
carries
us alsotothebrinkof precipices.
c/~rded
as useless,
in theothertheirchoicest
andmost
Therewas a sayingin ancientRome:"It is not far
characteristic
offerings.
fromthe Capitoline
Hill(whereconsulstooktheir
A pollrevealed
thattheseareamongtheprincipal vows)to the TarpeianRock(fromwhichcriminals
things
believed
to be of valuetoday:
newexperiences, werethrownto theirdeath.)"
We shouldnot neglecta valuebecausewe despair
of attaining
itshighest
degree.
Afterall,we do not
playa sonatain orderto reachthefinalchord,but
to enjoythemusicalongtheway.
Harmoniousbalanceentersinto everysenseof
values:
balanceof thought
andspontaneity,
balance
of the aspirations
andqualities
thatconstitute
an
all-round
man.
businessexpansionor the buyingof a housemust
payattention
to thefigures
in hisbankaccount.
Whatis needed?
Thesethingsare neededby the personseekinga
goodsenseof values:
health,
education,
someidealism,
a setofprinciples,
tothinkthings
over,
andpatience.
It is withgoodreason
thatwe askafterhishealth
whenwe meeta friend,for goodhealthis fundaThevalue
in happiness
mentalto theenjoyment
of life.Whenyouaresufferingfroma toothache
or seasickness
a profiton the
Doesgoodvalueconsist
of happiness
? Theanswer
stock-market
is
no
more
important
thangettinga
mustbe thathappiness
is a realvalueonlywhenit is
seaton a bus.
madeup of thingsindisputably
good.
Education
should
instil
in us an active
faithin the
People
wholiveon thesurface
placetheirhappiness
vital
values
which
make
our
lives
worth
living.
Choice
in things
external
to them,in property,
rank,society
of
values
is
narrowed
by
ignorance
and
closed
mindandthelike.Theircentreof gravity
is notin themedness.
selves,
butis constantly
changing
itsplacewithevery
whimanddesire.
Thereis todaya mountain
of knowledge
whichdid
not
exist
when
our
grandparents
sat
at
school
desks.
The ancientGreeksfoundhappinessto be what
Outof allthisknowledge
we mustextract
thevalues
theycouldputintolifeandnotwhattheycouldloot
thathavemostrelevance
toourlives.
It isthetaskof
outof it.Socrates
exclaimed,
whenhe sawarticles
of
education
to
improve
our
judgment
about
values,so
luxurylaidout forsale:"Howmuchthereis in the
that
we
keep
the
useful
ore
and
throw
away
the
slag.
worldthatI do notwant!"
Education
tellsus howhumanand socialproblems
Thosewhobasetheirhappiness
on work,interests,
weresolvedin otherages.Uponthisknowledge
we
friendships,
thepursuit
of an ideal,andhealth,
are
may
base
our
working
out
of
the
solution
of
personal
in position
to anticipate
thesimplest
pleasures
with
passionate
expectation.
Theyhavean honestpurpose and socialproblemswhich are new only in the
moderncostumes
theywear.It is saddening
to see
in life,a justestimate
of themselves
andothers,
and
how
many
persons,
mature
in
age,
lay
aside
their
theyobeyrulestheyknowto be right.
booksjustat a timewhentheyarebestqualified
to
Such men and women have learned the art of
readthemwithalertjudgment
andpolished
taste.
renouncing
some thingsin orderto possessmore
When one becomesable to deal with factsand
securely
andfullythethingstheyvalue.Theyknow
ideas
thoughtfully
and reasonably,
thenone becomes
theirpowersandlimitations,
andfindsatisfaction
greater
than
one
was
before.
This
may
be thought
of
in a lineof activity
whichtheycando well.They
as beingidealistic,
butwe musthavevaluesthatare
knowthat valuesare not in things,but in their
somewhat
idealistic
or our thoughts
tendto become
thoughts
aboutthings.
Whenlifeseemsto havelost
earthbound,
caught
up
and
entangled
in material
its meaningit is becausesomethinghas happened
things.
Materialism
leadsa personto tryto explain
in thevaluer,
because
values
result
fromvaluing.
one of Tchaikovsky’s
symphoniesby tracingthe
Ambitioncan be treacherous
to the man pursuing
pedigree
ofthecatgut
intheviolins.
happiness.
It may demandsomedeviation
from the
It is truethatimagination
and idealism
serveno
basicstandards
of value;it maycausesorrow,
if he
usefulpurpose
unlesstheyarebridled
andguidedby
has not realized
thatsomeachievements
bringwith
commonsense.But we cannotestablishvaluesfor
thema loadof care.If his ambitions
are too emourselves
unlesswe lookoutsidethe mundanepracbracing,
he willsufferconfusion,
as if someone
had
ticalities
oflife.
gotintoa department
storeand mixedup the price
tags.
Values
arelikea compass
Itis easyto beledasideaftertrifles.
Theambition
of a manwithtruevalues
is notsatisfied
by granting
A senseof valuesentersinto,or becomes,
a life
audiences,
beinginvited
toreceptions,
or beingelected philosophy,
something
thatgivesstature,
something
greatlyneededin thesedays,whenmanypeoplehave
to boards.Manynovelsremainunwrittenand many
thrownoverthe oldstandards
without
acquiring
new
business
dealsfallthrough
whilemen maketheround
of visitsdesigned
to curryfavourwithcritics
and
ones.Theycomeup againstcrisesnew to theirexperience
andhaveno setof valuesand no habitsof
executives.
thought
suited
to the new situations.
Insteadof
Trifles
arerelative.
AnEinstein
couldpassanentire
gettingwhattheylike,theyare compelled
to like
lifetimewithoutbendinghis powerfulmindto the
what
they
get.
problemof makinghis bankbook balanceagainst
Thatis onegreatvirtue
in having
a senseofvalues:
hischeque
2,
stubs,because
in hisworld,whereE =mc
you
have
a
compass
you
can
trust.
When Francis
a personalbudget =0, but a man contemplating
Chichester
crossedtheAtlantic
in mid-1962
he was
alonein his28-foot
sailboat,
andallaroundhimthe
sea metthe sky in an unmarked
horizon.
But he was
notlost.He had a compass;
hiscoursewascharted;
thestarswereoverhead.
No twodaysstartalikeor areexactcounterparts,
but with a compassof valuesone knowsin which
direction
to sailin orderto reachthedesired
port.
The compassis a principle,
madeup of underlying
ideasandcontrolling
concepts.
As Sophocles
putit:
"Notof todaynor yesterday,
butfromall eternity,
thesetruths
endure."
Principles
arenotgathered
fromthethinair,nor
aretheywrought
outby thesweatof dailychores.
A
value-seeking
personmustallowhimselftimefor
spellsof solitude
in whichto mulloverin personal
reflection
whathismindhasgathered.
PrincePhilip
put it this way: "I have had the opportunity
of
wanderingover the hillsand also of doingsome
fishing.
Thesepursuits,
withthemoments
of solitude
andreflection
whichtheygive,areinvaluable
to any
manwhois tryingto keepa balanced
outlook
in the
midst
of thefurious
activity
of modern
life."
It is probably
necessary
foreveryone,
princeor
workman,
to spenda littletimeoncein a whilereassessing
hislifeandthevalues
by whichhe livesit.
We shouldnotforgetthata photograph
plate,passive
in itself,
canfind-- withitsfaceturned
intheright
direction
--starswhich
no telescope
cansee.
Meditation
may be a re-energizer,
too. Whenwe
withdraw
intoourselves
to thinkthings
overwe often
gather
ourenergies
intoa tightcoil,readyto be unleashed
in self-expression.
The personwho takestime to meditatemay not
comprehend
everything
fully,but he willenjoythe
thrillof reaching
thepointwherethereseemsto be
onlya thinveilbetweenhimand therealityhe is
seeking.
His choiceof valuesmadeon themountain
willservehimwellwhenhereturns
to thevalley.
Thisstateis notreached
overnight.
Besides
courage
to facetheissues
thereis needed
patience
toworkout
theanswers.
Patience
is a verygreatword,because
it
includes
maturity
of thought,
mentalhealth,
andthe
refinement
of judgmentwhichtakesaccountof the
consequences
of actions.
In a worldin whichthereareso manygoodpeople
andinstitutions
andnations
fighting
notforsomething
but againstsomething
thereis greatneedfor the
dignity
of beingpositive.
To takeup simply
theattitude of defendingsomethingholdsout no hope of
improvement,
but if welmakea habitof seeingthe
positive
possibilities
ineverysituation
we shallgain
zestfordoing
significant
things.
Thereis roomwithinthispositiveness
fortheopinionsof otherpeople.Whilewe mustcommitourselves,
believing
strongly
inourvalues
andjudgment,
our senseof chivalryshouldleadus towardopenmindedness.
Thiswill give us moderation
in our
Authorized
as secondclassmail,
PostOfficeDepartment,
Ottawa
(4)
thoughts
andactions.
We willrecognize
theundoubted
factthatno opinion
is completely
rightandnoneis
completely
wrong.
Ourworldis fullof middle
roads.
Living
effectively
How effectively
we liveis the expression
of our
senseof values.Everyman is worthjustso muchas
thethings
areworthwithwhichhe busies
himself.
We should
expose
ourselves
to a context
of values
in
whichhighperformance
is encouraged.
It was said
sadlyinthereport
ofa special
studybytheRockefeller
BrothersFund Inc.:"If we ask what our society
inspires
in thewayof highperformance
we areledto
theconclusion
thatwe mayhave,to a startling
degree,
lostthegiftfordemanding
highperformance
of ourselves.
Itis a pointworthexploring."
Thiscarries
ourthoughts
backto theinscription
on
the templewallat Delphi:"KnowThyself."
Thecultivation
of excellence,
thepursuit
ofachievementforitsownsake,
is a latent
force
in nearly
everyone.Bringing
hissenseof valuesoutintotheopen
partof hismindis onewayto makethelatenturge
effective
inaction.
Testtubesand textbookshavenot yet madelife
something
to be takenlikea doctor’s
prescription,
a
merefollowing
of instructions.
Everyone
hasindividualtalent,
buthe cangiveexpression
to it only
through
initiative,
enterprise,
energy,
andinvincible
optimism.
He mustcomeoutof hisemotional
shellif
he is to satisfythesomething
withinhimwhichis
unappeased,
if he is to be himselfand not a pale
reflection
ofotherpeople.
Thisself-fulfilment
isnotselfishness.
Tosaythatwe
shouldseekwithin
ourselves
forthevalues
thatwill
giveus happiness
is notto saythatwe should
descend
to self-centredness
in an animalsortof way.Partof
oursenseof valuesmustexpress
itselfin makingour
contribution
to society.
We cannot
realize
highvalues
ifwearecontent
toexist
asnonparticipating
spectators.
Valuesarelived,nottalkedabout.A goodactor
doesnotpausein the middleof a sceneto describe
thementalagonyof Hamlet
or thejealousy
of Othello,
butsimply
conveys
it.
Thisbrings
us toa crucial
pointinthediscussion
of
a senseof values.
Thereis a timeformeditation,
but
thereis alsoa timeforaction.
We mustattend
to the
jobin handandworkat it calmly,
vigorously,
withoutdistraction.
We may be affrontedby the reception
givenour
senseof values,or disappointed
by our failureto
realize
ourvaluesimmediately,
buttheseworries
and
burnedfingers
anddisappointments
aretrivial
inview
of ourgoal.Ourrealbusiness
in lifeisto findsomething
thatistrueforus,andtolivebyit.Ourscaleof
valuesprovides
us witha benchmarkfromwhichto
measureour progress,
and a pointto whichwe can
return
forfresh
starts.
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