Values, Morals and Contempt
What is the difference between Value Judgements and Moral Judgements?
What are values and what are morals? Values are strategies, steps we take to meet our needs. There can be infinite ways to fulfill our needs. The ones that we identify with becomes our values. When we get too attached to our ways of doing things, meeting needs (values) they become our morals.
The simple yet profound example I like to use is, if I am hungry, I have so many ways to satisfy my stomach. I can eat fruit or a six course meal. I can eat a Pavbhaji, Dosha or something in non-vegetarian. I can choose. From there if I decide that I will not harm other living beings in meeting my needs, my values become vegetarianism. Over a period of time, surrounding myself only in vegetarian culture, I may develop a disgust for non-vegetarian food! All this is fine. I am only protecting myself without even the awareness of others. I am living my values!
That is why values are biological. They are ingrained in me and I am probably born with them. My belief is that they are linked to my past lives and our spiritual journey over multiple lives. I am comfortable being alone living my values. There is no Ill will towards other values.
In value judgement, I speak for myself. What are my needs and how am I fulfilling them? I have a clear liking and preference for certain ways of doing things. Certain behaviors. I live by them. No matter what others say. I operate from conscious awareness and choice.
The problem starts when I become fanatic about my values. As cultures grow especially in silo this happens. I start believing that being vegetarian is the only and best way to meet not just mine but everyone’s need for food. I develop contempt, anger or ill will towards people who eat non-vegetarian! I get triggered by them and thus start hating them. All these also happens at deep bodily level. At levels of sensations outside cognitive awareness. These are our morals.
In moral judgements, when I am triggered. I dislike the entire other person and not just their behavior (I think all non-vegetarian people are bad. And I don't think that, I don't like ‘eating’ non-vegetarian). I flock and connect with others having similar morals. We condemn and disregard opposite morals. Slowly, the difference slips in my shadow and unconscious. All attachments are like this. They push the opposite and different in shadow and unconscious. This makes us blind to various perspectives. This makes us miserable. This is where contempt is birthed. I don’t want to accept my shadow as it takes work and energy.
If I am able to see my shadow and accept it, it gives me an immense opportunity to grow my self-image and thus self esteem! Values and Morals are windows into my shadow
