SHITTY VALUES

Values are a subjective addition to what we consider in things, people, ideas, etc. Values are something we tend to qualify things according to our own personal points of view. Once we add the value, then comes the emotion attached to it, so we not only see it, but we react to it when we consider it under attack or not considered at all by others, like religion, pleasure, etc.

1. Pleasure is wonderful, but it’s not a good value to base your life around. Happiness doesn’t come from pleasure; it comes from other important things. If you focus on the right values and goals, pleasure will naturally follow as a result.

2. Material success: Many people measure their self-worth based on how much money they make, their choice of car, or the appearance of their lawn compared to their neighbours. When people define themselves by material possessions rather than their actions, they not only appear shallow but may also come across as unkind.

3. Always Being Right: Our brains are inefficient machines. We consistently make poor assumptions, misjudge probabilities, misremember facts, give in to cognitive biases, and make decisions based on our emotional whims. As humans, we are wrong most of the time, so if your measure of life success is to always be right, you will struggle to justify all the misinformation to yourself. It is more helpful to assume that you are ignorant and do not know much. This mindset keeps you from becoming attached to superstitious or poorly informed beliefs and encourages a continuous state of learning and growth.

4. Staying Positive. Then some measure their lives by the ability to be positive about, well, pretty much everything:  sometimes life sucks, and the healthiest thing you can do is admit it. Negative emotions are a necessary component of emotional health. To deny that negativity is to perpetuate problems rather than solve them. The trick with negative emotions is to 1) express them in a socially acceptable and healthy manner and 2) express them in a way that aligns with your values. 

This is why values such as pleasure, material success, always being right, and staying positive are not ideal for a person’s life. Some of life’s greatest moments are not pleasant, successful, well-known, or positive. The key is to establish strong values and standards, and pleasure and success will naturally follow. These things are byproducts of good values and on their own, they are just superficial highs.