Value-based Choices Made in Context
Posted 10-31-2010 at 08:31 AM by LookinForMayberry
I've been looking at finances quite a bit since we returned home from our trip. Mostly, that was because the trip consumed a major portion of our reserves, but also because we had a lot of expenses to cover in settling back into our home, and no income. Bottom line, I was concerned regarding our position relative to our needs.
This started me thinking about how our values affect our choices, at a personal and collective level. That led me to thinking about how preliminary choices affect secondary choices, and how we really need to be certain that we look at our choices in context of a larger picture.
For example: I can say I believe that we should provide shelter for those that do not have shelter. But, does that mean I am willing to open my doors to the homeless and let them sleep under my roof as long as I have free floor space? No, I am not willing to go that far. If I force myself to ask me why that is the case, I have to admit that I don't know these people, and if I did, I might not want them in that close a proximity to me. Further, I don't want to take responsibility for anyone other than myself and my dependents. Even my husband is expected to carry his own weight as long as possible.
So, facing those facts, how can I ask that anyone else cut into their reserve assets to help the homeless?
Well, then I get into values. I don't like the idea of anyone sleeping outside of shelter unless they want to be out there, alone. If it were me, I would hope there would be a place to go to for help. If I turn my back on another in need, what happens when I am the one in need?
No answers there, unless I place a value on my altruism verses my reserves. Is it more important to me to have reserves, or a clean conscience? As much as it pains me, I have to admit that I would rather protect my personal interests than my conscience.
So, is there a way that I can do both? I don't know. The problem is bigger than I can solve on my own. I need a community to call upon, because the problem is too big for an individual. Still, until the community has enough people that recognize the problem as being a problem, and then decide where they stand, based on their values, we can never find out where we stand as a community.
Even when a community does decide they have a problem, so much energy and time is spent on blaming the victims that the causes don't get identified, let alone how to solve them.
As far as I can tell, this doesn't look good for the homeless, or any other problem too big for one person -- and we have a lot of those.
Maybe, if enough people think about the problems, and start thinking beyond what they can do, and stop blaming victims, MAYBE the problems won't seem so big after all.
Maybe....
This started me thinking about how our values affect our choices, at a personal and collective level. That led me to thinking about how preliminary choices affect secondary choices, and how we really need to be certain that we look at our choices in context of a larger picture.
For example: I can say I believe that we should provide shelter for those that do not have shelter. But, does that mean I am willing to open my doors to the homeless and let them sleep under my roof as long as I have free floor space? No, I am not willing to go that far. If I force myself to ask me why that is the case, I have to admit that I don't know these people, and if I did, I might not want them in that close a proximity to me. Further, I don't want to take responsibility for anyone other than myself and my dependents. Even my husband is expected to carry his own weight as long as possible.
So, facing those facts, how can I ask that anyone else cut into their reserve assets to help the homeless?
Well, then I get into values. I don't like the idea of anyone sleeping outside of shelter unless they want to be out there, alone. If it were me, I would hope there would be a place to go to for help. If I turn my back on another in need, what happens when I am the one in need?
No answers there, unless I place a value on my altruism verses my reserves. Is it more important to me to have reserves, or a clean conscience? As much as it pains me, I have to admit that I would rather protect my personal interests than my conscience.
So, is there a way that I can do both? I don't know. The problem is bigger than I can solve on my own. I need a community to call upon, because the problem is too big for an individual. Still, until the community has enough people that recognize the problem as being a problem, and then decide where they stand, based on their values, we can never find out where we stand as a community.
Even when a community does decide they have a problem, so much energy and time is spent on blaming the victims that the causes don't get identified, let alone how to solve them.
As far as I can tell, this doesn't look good for the homeless, or any other problem too big for one person -- and we have a lot of those.
Maybe, if enough people think about the problems, and start thinking beyond what they can do, and stop blaming victims, MAYBE the problems won't seem so big after all.
Maybe....
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