Human Values and Ethics

The life of a human being will become meaningful only when values and ethics are made integral elements of day-to-day existence. When a person sticks to various virtues and ethical guidelines, their life will likely be more harmonious and contentful. This positive effect can be seen both on their personal and professional fronts. People in proximity treat them with respect.

Differences between human values and ethics

Many people erroneously opine that the terms “human values” and “ethics” are synonymous. But it is not so. Let us now focus on having a basic understanding of the differences.

• With the mention of “ethics”, reference is being made to moral guidelines that all people are expected to follow. These guidelines are generally framed by specific societies/cultures. On the other hand, we have “values”. These are nothing but ideals that a person has and which help them in arriving at the right decisions in different situations of life.

• Ethics are usually standardized norms that people related to specific groups/societies/regions have to abide by. They are more or less uniform. However, values are more of a personal choice of individuals based on their upbringing, perspective, and attitude. Values need not necessarily be the same for all people; they differ from one person to another.

• The scope of human values is broader than that of ethics, for ethics is confined only to explaining the right and the wrong. But, values go way beyond that and convey what is more important in a given situation. We face many situations in life where “what is of the utmost importance” is also as crucial as “what is right or wrong.”

Salient points about human values and ethics

Now, it won’t be inappropriate to succinctly elaborate on a few salient points about ethics and values.

• Human values and ethics help people to perform only those actions that do not violate the interests/well-being of fellow human beings. They help individuals differentiate between the good and the bad.

• Adherence to human values enables a person to develop healthy relationships with people. When more and more people adopt an approach based on values, there will be peace and harmony in society.

• People need to put in a lot of effort to live an ethically correct life; it needs patience and perseverance. Still, it is worth it. Once an individual learns to live in that way, they will be contributing their bit towards a world where peaceful co-existence becomes a reality.

• People who are committed to their values and ethics have no hassles in becoming aware that all human beings are connected. Artificial differences like religion, caste, and culture are of no significance. Such people consider the entire world as a single family.

• Integrating traits like truthfulness, selflessness, and non-violence in daily life is easy for individuals for whom ethics and values are paramount.

• People who prioritize human values strive to fulfill their duties and responsibilities with dedication. Things such as negligence and halfhearted attempts are always shunned by these noble individuals.

• These types of people strive to take the right course of action in various circumstances. Their knowledge and commitment assist them to act in the most appropriate way in sync with their ethics and values.