Jaristotle's Jottings | Values to live by

National Heroes Day, first celebrated in 1969, is intended to honour those Jamaican stalwarts who had shed blood, sweat and tears to ensure that the people of the country would enjoy a life of freedom. Our national heroes have come to represent those who stood for and placed premium value on collective freedom for the nation and its people. Unfortunately, many of us have misinterpreted that freedom to mean the right to do whatever we feel like doing, even if it is contrary to the collective good of the nation and the people as a whole. The question is, why so?

I proffer that such misinterpretation is a direct reflection of the values that such people have taken unto themselves. Values are ‘broad desirable goals that motivate people’s actions and serve as guiding principles in their lives. Such values include self-direction and freedom, stimulation and excitement, hedonism, achievement, power and wealth, security and social order, conformity and respect, tradition, benevolence and universalism and social justice’ (Sagiv L, Roccas S, Cieciuch J, Schwartz SH: Personal Values in Human Life).

In plain terms, if our values are flawed, so too will be our attitudes and behaviour. What then would be the determinants of flawed values? The answer is simple: one’s prevailing circumstances, living environment and perception of self-worth drive the inculcation of one’s values. If the environment if decrepit and devoid of positive influences, those values will likewise be decrepit and negative.

Five-generation rule

The latest buzz on social media surrounds what some sociologists reputedly call the “five-generation rule”. How parents raise their children, the emotional environment they offer, the values they teach and the education they provide influence not only their child but at least four generations to follow. If this supposed rule is anything to go by, then we need to go revisit our history to understand our present situation.

Suffice to say, values inculcated in and upon our ancestors’ influenced their attitudes and behaviour, what with the realities of slavery, the disappointments of emancipation and marginalisation under colonialism.

Five generations ago, the prevailing circumstances and values of the 1920s into the 1930s, the era of the Great Depression when economic stagnation, discontent with unemployment, low wages, high prices, and poor living conditions gave rise to anger and major social unrest.

Anger

Jamaicans of that era were essentially angry, and with good cause. It was this anger that fuelled our ultimate drive towards, and achievement of independence. However, isasmuch as independence was a victory and cause for celebration, the feel-good moment was short-lived as people were still facing considerable economic and social disenfranchisement. It may be fair to say that the anger became more intense as, rather than having a single, external demon to deal with as in the colonialists, we now had to deal with internal political divisions and the disappointments of self-governance.

Values

It is fair to say then, that in current times we remain an angry society in large part. Economic, social and political disenfranchisement still abound, as does the elusiveness of justice. Emotional intelligence is at an all-time low, and our inability or unwillingness to reason underscores our often-ignorant approach to conflict resolution.

In the last 20 years, have there been any monumental changes in our living environment that could be considered catalysts for inculcating new values – values that would diminish our anger and influence greater societal cohesiveness and respect for the rule of law? No!

If we are to rid ourselves of overwhelming societal ills, we must rid ourselves of this anger by inculcating values that foster decency and reasoned thinking and behaviour. While a generation or two may be lost to this concept, hope is never lost. Let’s not delay.

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