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Life and Most Eminent Values

P. A. Joseph P. A. Joseph
18 Mar 2024

I live. For me, life is most eminent. It is the most important of everything. When my life is more important, all other matters are insignificant. For me, being male or female is less important than life; being a south Indian or being from the north is less important than life; being educated or not is not more important than life; being well-to-do or poor is less important than life; being employed or unemployed is less important than life. These reflections lead us to further thoughts that promote life and living.

One perspective is love in comparison and contrast with life experiences. When we think of love, the road ahead is obvious; it is more optimistic, thrilling, rewarding, fulfilling, prosperous, affluent, thriving, and enjoyable, all in positive and parallel lines. Living together in groups like families or other groups may be influenced by love, but not always.

Another standpoint is fear; for fear, the road ahead is not like that of love; here it is hard; it is not comfortable; it is disheartening; it makes me cautious; it does not leave me at ease; it may even leave me tensed; it does not speak of a leisurely drive ahead; it reverses; it negotiates U-turns; it does not presuppose that everything is well, and so I have to be moving on pins.

No wonder families or other groups are often 'physically' united by fear and not by love. Spouses live together for many years, united under the same roof, not by love but by fear. Heart of heart, they would like to be separated, but due to other factors, the so-called 'community life' goes on. Religious groups experience the same reality. The so-called unity in prayer, charisma, forgiveness, etc., may be too shallow to merely show the public.

Then there are 'political relationships', so broad that anyone is welcome to join. No admission fee! Anyone can enter it without any conditions. 'Politics' needs no comments.

Yet another outlook is 'give' than 'take'. In the area of giving, it can be generous, overflowing, magnanimous, and never counting the cost. People with this attitude are highly appreciated everywhere. We learn this from nature, creation, etc., where we are constantly being given. The sky, earth and the whole universe are in this vista. When we take too much, we break the laws of nature, as we possess the world, which is meant for all human beings. Here, we exercise not our need but our greed to usurp what is intended for all.

Still, another area is to cooperate rather than compete. In cooperation, there is team–building, collaboration, and mutual contribution for one common goal. However, in competing, the aim is to see who comes first, ignoring all the work partners. In education, cooperative study was stressed, but without reconciling with competing dimensions. In any way, in today's digital culture, cooperative functioning has much value for society and the world at large.

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