4 Values which Govern Us But Which Make Us Unhappy
Whether we like it or not, we live in a time when humanist values have taken a back seat. Much of the world and life revolves around power and money. This is a logic against which there is much resistance but which nevertheless imposes the main values that govern us.
We often accept this logic of the current world as if it were the only one possible. It is not so. Although the values that govern us are associated with production and trade, we can still criticize them and not let them completely determine our lives.
It is not that the values that govern us are not important. It happens, however, that if we accept them without discussing them, considering them as something absolute, they end up limiting our life and generate in us anguish and dissatisfaction. This is why it is important to identify them and not allow them to invade everything. Here are the main values which govern us but which make us unhappy.
1. Efficiency, one of the values that govern us
One of the biggest demands in today’s world is to be efficient. We regularly receive messages about the importance of accomplishments, the need to focus on our goals, success and ideas of like. It is very good. What is not, on the other hand, is to give an excessive importance to this value and that everything revolves around it.
Efficiency is one of the values that govern us. Indeed, it is a feature that facilitates the proper development of the economy. Businesses want efficient people because it’s more profitable. Efficiency also guarantees better professional performance and a privileged place in the system.
That doesn’t mean, however, that the most important thing in humans is efficiency. We are not machines. P ar Therefore, depending on the circumstances, we are more or less effective. It doesn’t give us less value.
2. Productivity
Productivity is linked to the concrete results that we are able to generate. We call productive someone who is able to do a lot in a short period of time and who gets more money or profits for it. In other words, a productive person is a “useful” person. This “utility” is, however, almost always linked to the economic domain.
We speak of “productive person”, or “productive age”, or “useful individual”. However, we are not talking about the fact that the human being is much more than what he produces. That, as with efficiency, we are not machines for making money, or for increasing that of others. Focusing only on this means that the only dimension that ends up prevailing is the economic and professional dimension. Happiness can thus never be achieved.
3. The quantity
Today’s society is particularly obsessed with quantity. Everything is measured and the word “more” has become a religion for many. What has no limit is not measured in terms of dreams or ideals, but in terms of how much it is possible to accumulate or produce. A good day is one in which we have “done a lot”. A year is good when “a lot” has been achieved. A life is valid when ‘many’ purposes have been fulfilled.
What is the relevance of the quantity? In general, its value is mainly present in economy and production. It is here that it becomes a values that govern us. From a more humanistic point of view, quantity tends to conflict with quality. Many things are done, are accomplished, or accumulated, sacrificing the deeper meaning of what is done, achieved, or accumulated.
4. Speed
Speed has become a goal in all areas. Making everything happen quickly is seen as a sign of “what is right” or “what is working”. The idea is to be able to do more things in less time. This is why some people despair of a five-minute break. Or are upset if they spend more time doing a task.
Speed is another of the values that govern us but which does not lead us to well-being. As with quantity, speed makes the fast clash with what is good. Not in all areas, of course. But in many important aspects. Those who are obsessed with speed lose this ability to enjoy every moment. They also have difficulty in understanding the meaning of the processes in which time has an advantage.
While all of these values that govern us are important in adapting to the world as it is today, it is important to digest their meaning and not passively accept them , just because it is about what culture imposes.
Our thoughts To prevent work from becoming an endless activity, consuming your best moments in life, and ruining your health, here is a few …
