BASIC HUMAN VALUES

“All great people in the world have tried to realize the truth and to live by it in terms of love and
compassion. They have tried to: Understand themselves (Human Being), understand the
underlying harmony in nature, in existence. They have tried to understand the role of human being
in nature, in existence, to live by it and to develop an equitable and just society which ensures the
wellbeing of all. For all such great people we have great feeling of gratitude.”
Basic human values refer to those values which are at the core of being human. The values which
are considered basic inherent values in humans include truth, honesty, loyalty, love, peace, etc.
because they bring out the fundamental goodness of human beings and society at large.

● There are five stem values and many sub-values or virtues that come from these. Together they
make up the tapestry that forms an individual of character. They contain all that makes a human
being noble, caring and kind.
Human Values reflect the sense of right and wrong in a person. They also refer to appropriate
courses of action, values define what ‘ought’ to be in society. Trust and Affection are seen as
foundational and complete values in a society.
Following are the basic human values:
1. TRUTH:
The desire to know truth has prompted mankind to ask some of the great questions such
as: Who am I? What is the purpose of life? How can I know my inner self/ God? How can
I live fully in the present moment?
Learning to speak the truth is a first and vital step in the formation of a strong character.
Voicing an untruth is an anti-social act and causes confusion in the mind of both the speaker
and the listener and leads to anti-social behavior.
The truth in any matter does not depend upon the will or wish of the individual, but is
independent of desires and their related interests and opinions. Truth has both individual
and communal aspects. Just as individual truthfulness is the basis of a secure society, the
common efforts towards truth about life and the cosmos is represented.
2. LOVE AND CARE:
Love is not an emotion affected by the sub-conscious mind but is a spontaneous, pure
reaction from the heart. It is the power of love which cause one person to wish happiness
for another and take pleasure in their well-being. A beneficial energy (love) is directed
P a g e 1 | RYS
 towards the other person. This energy flows through our own body first, enhancing our
own health. Love is unconditional, positive regard for the good of another. It is giving and
unselfish. Love is essential if children are to grow up healthy in mind and body.
Love seeks many and various channels of realization. Its essence can be characterized by
the words “love is unselfish care and concern for the well-being of others and the world at
large. The less selfish it is, the more it enriches life. Being universal, it takes on different
general forms in different relations; mother’s love, fatherly love, conjugal love of one’s
partner, friendship etc. Patriotic love, brotherhood expresses love for mankind, care and
respect for nature is love of creation.
3. PEACE:
As a universally accepted positive value, peace refers to the experience of harmony, a
balanced but nevertheless dynamic mental condition. Peace of mind can be independent of
‘externals’ like the absence of disturbance or the intrusion of an environment through noise,
violence, terror etc.
Truthfulness in a person’s life, in society and in other terms is a product of all positive
values working together sufficiently. Without trust, love, care/concern conflict arises and
peace is endangered or lost. Peace of mind is a primary goal for human strivings to reach
happiness. Peacefulness is not to be confused with lack of activity or mere physical quiet.
As a psychic condition it is closely related to control of the mind, positivity of attitude
together with calmness of mind. Inner blissfulness which is not dependent upon external
sensory or physical conditions is a high expression of peacefulness.
4. RESPONSIBILITY:
Human actions are physical events brought about through physical behavior. However, no
definitive and specific codes of behavior can be prescribed for all times and places. The
human values themselves provide the general criterion for good behavior but because of
the changing nature of life and society, they cannot be formulated as explicit norms, laws,
rules or regulations. Towards living nature in general, the human value of doing one’s duty
is closely related to non-violence. Knowledge of what is true combined with insight into
what is good are the basis of duty, also conceived as ‘acting rightly’. A full understanding
of right action, whatever the circumstances, presumes through insight into the mutual
relations of dependence between humans, between all beings and within the creation as a
whole.

P a g e 2 | RYS
 5. JUSTICE:
It is based on fairness where the equality of every individual before the law is fundamental.
As such it is a social value in that it aims to resolve and reduce conflict, guided by the
principles of care and non-violence. The aim to achieve social justice for the perceived
common good has certainly a long pre-history as a central idea in all human societies.
Justice is expressed in all forms of human interest and care for living nature, obviously
including humans while it clearly also remains an ideal to be striven for the interest of
peace of mind and love.

► GENERAL VALUES AND ASSOCIATED VALUES ◄

TRUTH LOVE & PEACE RESPONSIBILITY JUSTICE

CARE
Equanimity Caring Equanimity Helpfulness Respect of rights
Inner calm Giving Inner calm Respect Non-discrimination
Self-respect Sharing Self-respect Citizenly duty Social equality
Contentment Kindness Contentment Resourcefulness Non-violence
Concentration Concern Concentration Self-help Lawfulness
Meditation Helping Meditation Discipline Social service
Self-control Circumspection Self-control Doing good Cooperation
Non-attachment Affirmation Non-attachment Respect for life Solidarity
Temperance Humanism Temperance Loyalty Courtesy
Gentleness Forgiveness Gentleness Incorruptibility Democratic spirit

P a g e 3 | RYS