Summary: Values are core beliefs that guide our decisions and actions throughout life. They can be influenced by our upbringing and society, and we must choose them wisely. Strong values, like learning and honesty, often require personal sacrifices, while harmful values can lead to negative outcomes.
Values are core beliefs that we have developed over the years. They are the ethics that we feel so strongly about and the points of view that we find ourselves arguing for in conversations. They are what drive us from the minute we open our eyes, till the moment we sleep. (View Highlight)
Our values are the GPS of our lives. They set the path on which we want to progress. They form the principles that we are willing to live by, and some, like Quang Duc, would die for. (View Highlight)
Values are a fundamental part of our identity. We are most often defined by what we choose to find valuable in our lives. Every decision we make is based on that value we’ve placed at the top of our awareness — The lens that we’ve chosen to view the world with. (View Highlight)
Quang Duc chanted a few words of prayer, lit the match he held in his hand and threw it onto his gasoline filled body. For ten minutes, he sat still burning, never moving or screaming till his body finally collapsed. That act of self-sacrifice would forever alter history. (View Highlight)
People who lead their lives based on how they feel will find themselves perpetually on a treadmill, constantly needing more, more, more. Our purpose should be sought not merely through what feels good. It must be considered and reasoned. We must accumulate evidence supporting it. Otherwise, we’ll spend our lives chasing a mirage. (View Highlight)
We don’t want to value things that harm ourselves or others. We do want to value things that enhance ourselves and others. (View Highlight)
When you value things that are outside your control, you essentially give up your life to that thing.
Money is a bad value because you can’t always control it. (View Highlight)
This value of learning means I’m willing to sacrifice hours of my free time to the extent that I hardly watch any television and have altered my life to have less social outings. (View Highlight)
Good values include honesty, bravery, authenticity, humility, vulnerability, self- respect, curiosity, charity and creativity.
Bad values include manipulation, self-centredness, people pleasing, comparing, judging, trying to be rich for the sake of being rich. (View Highlight)