CHAPTER 6: THE VALUES SYSTEM

You only live once – but if you work it right, once is enough.

 Joe E. Lewis

VALUES are the set of highly stable beliefs, norms, principles and preferences by which an individual
lives and which determine his behavior. These are invisible characteristics that cannot be seen but can
be felt and manifested through words and action when dealing with people.

GOALS

To remain healthy, man must have some goal, some purpose in life that he can respect and be
proud to work for.

We need to have specific goals enough to let us make clear plans. We do this by breaking our
roles into goals, by asking “what do I want to accomplish within this role?” Goals usually have
deadlines.
PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIC VALUES

Many people value their physical well-being and economic security more than anything else.
Good health and confidence in their physical being is paramount. This causes people to take safety
precautions in their homes, visit the doctor regularly, eat good food, get sufficient sleep, and engage
in some kind of daily exercise to preserve their physical well-being.

Others value having sufficient money to enjoy the necessities of life, or a few additional
comforts, over other values. The kind of work you do, the educational goals you set and the concern
for economic security show in the way people manage their financial affairs.

PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE

An individual’s personal philosophy is his way of looking at the world and the people around
him. His personal philosophy is one of the most fundamental elements of his being, for it enters into
his thinking, his emotions, his actions, and reactions.

Some people do not have only one philosophy or way of thinking. They may be “eclectic”,
meaning they partake of several basic philosophies.
ROUGHLY THERE ARE THREE BASIC PHILOSOPHIES

1. THE REALIST. The realist looks to what is he seeks for the answers to his questions. He
observes nature, sees man as a product of the world bout him. To the realist, man’s most
important feature is his ability to adapt and use the laws of the universe. The naturalist
belongs to the same category.

2. THE IDEALIST. The idealist finds the answer to reality within man’s mind or soul. The two main
categories are the religious and the personal. If the idealist believes in God, he looks to Him
for the ultimate answer to reality. He believes that the most important thing about man is his
soul and his spiritual kinship with the Divine Being.
 3. THE PRAGMETIST. The pragmatist looks for meanings in their practical bearings and believes
that the function of thought is to guide action. He believes that experience is composed of
circumstances, events, ideas, people, environment, and that the interaction among all these
things is the basis of reality. The pragmatist is concerned with change, for experience is never
static.

An individual’s right to his personal philosophy must be respected, and what he does if taken
in the light of that philosophy, becomes more understandable. If one can do this, his ability to get
along with people and consequently, his chances of improving his own personality will be greater.

A person’s values are based on his philosophy – the things he considers to be of worth of
importance. Other factors that influence a person’s choice of values is his cultural tradition into which
he was born the values of the society in which he moves. One may value money; another, power;
another creative expression; and others a combination of all these.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES TO BE DEVELOPED

1. SELF ESTEEM. A positive self-image has nothing to do with being conceited or show-off. In fact,
healthy self-esteem makes you feel self-confident without having to brag and constantly
prove yourself to others. High self-esteem is also easy to spot. You can see it in a way a girl
dresses and carries herself. She’s usually a good student, not because she wants to impress
others, but because she enjoys doing things well. And generally, she’s well-liked because she’s
relaxed and fun to be with.
2. RESPONSIBILITY. Anyone who is planning to enter the work field must be ready and willing to
accept a certain amount of personal responsibility. He must be able to discharge with
efficiency and accuracy the duties for which he is accountable to follow through to complete
every task assigned to him, and to justify, the confidence of his employer in his ability to
relieve him of routine business.

3. GOOD JUDGEMENT. Complete information concerning the facts of a case and a clear
understanding of their relation to one another, an unbiased attitude and sufficient time for a
decision with full realization of its implications-all these contribute to a sound judgment, it is
his good judgment, more than any other quality, that enables a person to deal successfully
with the most important aspect of his job.

4. INITIATIVE. Initiative is that quality which causes one to go ahead and do any work that needs
to be done without being told to do so. Anticipate many of the things that should be done;
you should then proceed to do them without any specific instructions.
5. HONESTY. Scrupulous honesty is still, as it has always been, the “best policy”. The honest
secretary arrives on time, takes only the allotted time for lunch, and does not leave before the
closing hour. He does not waste his own and other’s time idling or gossiping. He does not
attend to any of his personal affairs on office time. He does not use the company stationery
for personal letter, and he uses the office telephone for personal calls as little as possible. He
never forgets that his employer pays him what he has agreed to accept for a full day’s work.
Even if this is less money that he thinks he deserves, being honest he will live up this part of
the bargain. He will give him a full day’s work done to the best of his ability with full attention,
full interest, and full effort.

6. LOYALTY. The very nature of duties usually opens to be most confidential affairs of an
employer. If an employee is loyal, he will not gossip about office matters. He will tactfully
evade any direct questions but to him that seeks to make him tell things he knows should be
kept secret.
7. TACT AND SELF-CONTROL. Tact is thoughtfulness of the feelings of others. It is the choice of
the proper language or action to effect the desired result with the minimum danger of hurting
other person’s feelings or arousing his antagonism. Self-control is an essential part of fact.
Tact requires judgment and consideration before words or action. Therefore you must control
your impulse to say or do the first thing that enters your mind.

8. AMBITION. Ambition is an inherent desire to achieve success. It is to the human mind that a
spark plug is to an automobile. Without this spark plug the mind would have no driving force.
To develop ambition, set up some goals toward which you can work during the next weeks.
9. DETERMINATION AND PERSEVERANCE. These qualities have a very close relationship to
ambition. Determination enables one to develop the power of decision and to carry that
decision through the successful conclusion. Willingness to start at the bottom and to work to
the top of gradual steps requires determination.

10. BE COOPERATIVE - The office functions best when an atmosphere of real friendliness and
cooperation exists among employees. Office workers should be helpful, giving each other
whatever information needed and doing promptly the thing that are asked of them so that all
the work of the firm will progress smoothly. A sympathetic understanding of others and of
their opinions is essential in bringing about harmony. If you can keep an office staff working
together happily, you will be one of the most valued employees in the firm.
11. TACT – frequently, you may be asked to get others to do things. Under such circumstances,
you must, above all, avoid being “bossy”. If instructions are to be given orally, either
personally or over the telephone, you should never fail to be courteous and at the same time
certain at the other person clearly understands exactly what is to be done. A firm, polite
approach is the best attitude.

12. MENTAL ALERTNESS AND MEMORY – A good measure of an intelligent business worker is this
ability to understand, judge and follow either oral written instructions. Of equal importance is
his ability to select more important things from the lesser. Avoid the possibility of forgetting
by making notes of at least the important details of the instructions. The notes help you to
know exactly what is to be done when the time comes for doing it.

13. DEPENDABILITY – an employer has every right to expect you to be at work on time in the
morning, to lunch within the allotted time, not to prolong the coffee break, and to be honestly
until closing time. Your work must be of such correctly. Once he has given you instructions, he
ought to be able to feel that you will carry them out.
14. PRODUCTABILITY – in order to maintain a high production rate, you must be able to arrange
your time to allow for uninterrupted period of dictations and transcription. You must be
willing and ready to learn new ways of doing things that will save time and energy. You must
always be on your toes to take new courses, to obtain refresher training, to keep abreast of
new techniques in order to maintain your professional status.

15. BE A GOOD SPORT – You should treat your fellowmen-comrade and opponent alike—as you
would like yourself to treated. The quality of sportsmanship cover the characteristics of
honestly, fairness, courtesy, courage, and all that make one good player on the competition
field whether in game or in the big vast field called life. It may apply to man, woman, or child
participating in this big most complicated process of living.
16. BE SELF-RELIANT – A person who possesses self- reliance believes that as an individual he is
endowed with the power to do and he shows it. He says to himself, ”I cannot do everything,
but still I can do something.” This idea gives him power and strength to and dare.

17. BE CHEERFULL – Cheerfulness in the family and in the school is the prevalence of a joyful,
hopeful spirit light and heartiness. When cheerfulness prevails, sunshine penetrates the walls
of the home and poverty and suffering become bearable.

18. BE APPRECIATIVE – Appreciations is the kind and pleasant way which we manifest through
oral expression or by the action the approval of the deeds of others. thoughtful and sincere
appreciation inspires other to work for the good of him and that of the group to which he
belongs.

19. BE OPTIMISTIC – Optimism is related to cheerfulness. It is an ideal virtue worth cultivating.

Optimism is the source of enthusiasm and good effort. the optimism approaches his work with
hopes of winning and eagerness to achieve his goal. He acts with faith and laughs off defeat.
Be interested in your studies, in your work. And because you are optimistic and you have
great interested in it, you will do it better and produce the desired result.
 EXERCISE 10

1. Why do need have a goal in life?

2. What is your philosophy in life?
3. Of the three basic philosophies, which has a great impact on you?
4. What personal attributes do you think you need to develop? Why?

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF HUMAN RELATIONS.

1. Speak graciously to people. There is nothing as cheerful as a word of greeting.

2. Smile at people. it take 65 muscles to frown; only 15 to smile.
3. Call people by name. the sweetest music to anyone’s ears in the sound of this name.
4. Be friendly and helpful. if you want have good friend, be one.
5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is with genuine pleasure.
6. Be genuinely interested in people. You can like everybody if you try.
7. Be generous with praise but cautious with criticism. Never criticize, reprimand not correct a
person in public.
8. Be considerate of the feelings of others. It will be appreciated.
9. Be thoughtful of the opinion of the others. There are three sides to a controversy: your, the
other fellow’s and the right one.
10. Be alert to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for others.
MAJOR CHARCTERISTICS OF WINNING PERSONALITY

1. Character – a man’s character is what he is inwardly, for character is the combination of

qualities, traits and virtues that distinguishes the individual.

2. Enthusiasm – is the elements of success in everything. it is the light that leads and the strength
that lifts men on and up in the great struggles of scientific pursuits and of professional labor. It
robs endurance and difficulty, and makes pleasure of duty. (GK: enthusiasms – to be inspire)

3. Grooming – good grooming is health.

4. Personal habits – are each human being’s own peculiarities and mannerisms
5. Attitude – a man’s perception/view of life.

6. Friendliness – is the quality of sympathetic human relations that develops good will and builds
firm relationships.

7. Aggressiveness – this quality is of two kinds-agreeable and disagreeable. A man’s personality

is affected pleasantly by constructive, sparkling, dynamic aggressiveness that is really an
enlargement of ambition. It is affected by a militant, brutal discourteous aggressiveness that is
an enlargement of truthlessness.
8. Imagination – the act of power of firming a mental image of something not present to the
senses or never before wholly perceived in reality.
9. Initiative – is the ability to develop original conception and independent action.

10. Thinking ability – the action of being one’s mind to produce thought.

11. Human relations – if you want to get along well with people, you must first, understand the
person. To understand the person, you must know his faults and his good qualities; his
attitudes, why he acts as he does.
 12. Spiritual values – a state of being concerned with religious value.

13. Personal magnetism - a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or
enthusiasm for public figure is a special magnetic charm or appeal.

BEING HAPPY WITH LIFE

Happiness is what we all long for-only happiness has so many different meanings. When a
person says that I want to be happy, he means that he want to like life, find it full and interesting and
be secured in this own particular situation.
 The capacity for happiness is inside us. Before you can get anywhere at all you have to find it.
Only when you are taking positive steps that you can be led to happiness.

Accept realities. The secret of happiness is an ability to accept realities and finding the best at
it, of knowing when to give things a push forward, when to accept them as they are now and how to
build cheerfully what you can not for the moment changed.

Encourage change. Make the most of what you have. Enjoy it while it lasts, but never be afraid
to change. a life that does not change and expand is not developing naturally. Life is full of surprises
can give as some of our happiest moments.

Be patient. Don’t rush, be patient. Take your time. Persevere. Be firm, clear and constructive.
Then you will find that you can be happy anywhere…anytime.

Take disappointment as a learning experience. There is nothing wrong about feeling deeply
disappointed at times, but don’t let it get out of control.cry if you feel like crying, but don’t cry for the
rest of your life.

Real happiness can be ours only when we have done something worthwhile for ourselves and
for others.

To achieve real happiness, all we have to do is wake-up, open your eyes, be sincere in deeds,
reach out to help others, give ourselves wholeheartedly to everyone.

Remember, if we have done something good to others we have done it to the lord.

In order to have perfect joy and happiness, do not work to please men, you will only be
disappointed, but work to please god. Only then that you can achieve peace of mind and true
happiness.
START EARLY IN LIFE

The kind of life we will live and the degree of success we will attain in the future depend to a
large extent upon the way we have used our early years.

Why important to start early in life? You will be making mistakes while you are still young. So
you better go at life early to allow for such period of trial and error.

You would like to share with your parents the success they were unable to make for
themselves. And the best moment to do this is to attain success early while they are still living. In this
way, you can at least repay some of the sacrifices they have made for you.

When you are young, your mind is still fresh and in good condition. Your body is at its strength
and it is capable of enduring even the most strenuous work from which old age will shy away.

UNIQUELY HUMAN ENDOWMENTS

1. Self Awareness – the ability to stand apart and examine even the way we “see” ourselves.

2. Imagination – the ability to create in our mind a scenario beyond our present reality.
 3. Conscience – a deep inner awareness of right and wrong, principles that govern our behavior.

4. Independent will – the ability to act based on our self-awareness, free of all other influence.

WHAT IS A REAL MAN?

1. A real man is a man who honestly tries to lives up to best he can be.
2. A real man has the humility of Christ. He is never proud, no matter how great he is.
3. A real man talks a little, but does much. He is dependable.
4. A real man works honestly he hates get-rich-quick schemes of crooked politicians and
influenced peddlers.
5. A real man never be shows that he is more intelligent than the other man. He does not judge
other people.
6. A real man is loyal to this Friends. He sticks to him for better or for worse, through thick and
thin.
 7. A real man does not hurt woman, physically or morally. He loves but once and faithfully

UNDERSTANDING FAILURE

Failure doesn’t mean you are a failure

It does mean you haven’t succeeded yet.
Failure doesn’t mean you have accomplished nothing
It does mean you have learned something
Failure doesn’t mean that you have been a fool
It does mean that you had a lot of faith
Failure doesn’t mean you’ve been disgraced
It does mean you were willing to try
Failure doesn’t mean you have
to do something in a different way Failure doesn’t mean you are
inferior It does mean you are not
perfect Failure doesn’t mean you have
wasted you life It does mean you have reason
to start afresh Failure doesn’t mean you
should give up It does mean you must try
harder. Failure doesn’t mean you’ll
never make it. It does mean it will take a little
longer. Failure doesn’t mean god has
abandoned you. It does mean god has
better plans for you. You are god’s idea and god only dreams up beautiful
ideas. He is expecting great things from you. Cooperate! Believe in
yourself now, and make god as your partner in everything you do, and you will never fail.
 EXERCISE 11

1. Give the three characteristics of a winning personality that you think you need to develop.
2. What is happiness? How can be happy?
3. Describe a real man.
4. What can you say about starting early in life? Is it bad or good? why?
5. How do you take failures positively?