Rol Fessenden <76234.3636@CompuServe.COM> makes an impassioned plea for
values. First let me clarify, Rol, that I DO BELIEVE in values AND that I
want LO practitioners to understand that it is a big mistake to impose
their values on others. Everyone is (nearly) unique and so to assume
anything as a given is treading on soft ground. The world is at war and
bombs are killing people at a rapid rate. We need to accept that there
will always be a variety of opinions based on values.
On an international and multicultural list such as LO, we may have shared
values. I have no idea what they are. Do you?
Here are my responses to your references:
>On rereading Keith, I wondered if he was saying that values are a bit
>suspicious because we don't adhere to them, and, anyway, who defines the
>exceptions? My apologies for any miscontrual.
I have no suspicions regarding values. I adhere to Stephen Covey and his
principle-centered leadership. My criticism of Covey's work is in his very
assumption that there can be universal principles. Having worked
side-by-side with Chinese, Japanese, Jamaican, Eastern European, Indian
Kenyan, Sri Lankan. Australian, British, French...I am constantly amazed
by the variety of values and beliefs which are held dear. BUT I would
never take on the task of defining a universal set of values across that
territory.
Even Canadian and American are very different. My neighbours are different
than I and they are within shouting distance!
In terms of adherence, I was putting up the conundrum that there are so
many exceptions to the so called values that an external observer would be
amused by any assertion of universal values. BTW, Rol, I would LOVE to
have a set. Life would be much simpler!
Rol again quotes:
>..The context or environment is important, as Keith (may) have
>said. And the fact that a few milion people may not agree that murder is
>evil does not detract from the universal nature of that particular value.
I would be cautious about condemning the Indian mothers for killing their
female babies. While I personally find the act of killing an innocent baby
revulsive, I cannot arbitrarily condemn the action without fully
understanding the environmental pressures they are under. And I am also
reluctant to "brand" our east Indian friends as inferior in any way
because they condone that behaviour until I have walked in their shoes.
As Stephen Covey would say:
"Seek first to understand and then be understood"
In my world view, the act of condemning behaviour that conflicts with my
set of values without seeking to understand is tantamount to bigotry!
Hey, no one ever said life was easy! ...Keith (Thanks for the thread.)
(PS You quote a number of historical figures who had values. Do you have
any current value-based politicians??? You see, I did not KNOW Abe
Lincoln, I had to rely on what others choose to tell me about him...)
--Keith Cowan <72212.51@CompuServe.COM>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>