#humane values

What do the following major problems have in common?

Severe budget cuts to schools, bashing of teachers, lack of a broad based curriculum for developing critical and creative thinking students and cheating scandals? 2. Allowing civilians to buy assault weapons that can be used to murder innocent children and adults? 3. Inadequate mental health services? 4. Unaffordable health care services and millions of uninsured? 5. High rates of poverty? 6. Global warming, climate changes with bizarre weather patterns and allowing the destruction of the planet? 7. The crash of 2008 that led to a severe economic crisis? 8. Extreme materialism and money as top priority? 9. Special interest groups and corporations having greater influence on politicians than the people? 10. High crime rates and overcrowded prisons?

All of these problems reflect a lack of human values-the type of values which are humane and indicative of the ideals of humanity. Values such as kindness, caring for others, love, integrity and compassion make us good human beings. These values are the antidote and solution to many problems in the world today. Certainly there are many people who display these values, but many more people with humane values are needed if we are to reach a tipping point. For us to create a world that reflects love and caring for all it must begin with each individual. To reach critical mass the consciousness of more people must be raised so that the problems mentioned are unacceptable and not tolerated. It is for each of us to get in touch with our humanity and with others to positively influence our leaders or replace them with people who will lead with human values. Are we as a human family willing to put into action those values which will create a better world for everyone? This is a question for each of us to answer.

By Raymond Gerson

By Raymond Gerson

As a human race we are confronted today with a multitude of major challenges. These include economic, educational, environmental and health-related problems and war scenarios and other forms of violence and inhumane actions.

Collectively we are the source of these problems. A forrest is only as green as the trees in it and similarly the world is as good as the people in it. The animals, birds, fish and insects did not cause these problems and they cannot solve them. We created the problems and it is up to us to solve them if we want a better world.

One major obstacle is that many people see themselves as separate and not connected or part of the whole. It is our level of consciousness or awareness that enables us to see or not see that we have a relationship with other humans, to other species and to our planet.

When a sense of separation dominates our consciousness, then a tribal mentality is the result. Then it is us against them. Then those who think like us are accepted and others can be seen as the enemy.

Our actions reflect how we perceive ourselves, others and the world. Look at the difference in the level of consciousness and perception of Hitler and Mother Teresa. Hitler was an example of someone operating from a very low level of consciousness and Mother Teresa from a very high level. One saw through eyes of hatred and the other through eyes of love and compassion. Look at the difference in their legacies. One left behind death, suffering and destruction and the other left a legacy of love and kindness. We do not have to become like Mother Teresa, but each of us can bring our own light to the world.

Humane values come from a higher level of consciousness. Inhumane values come from a lower state of consciousness. Humane values are part of being a good human being. These are universal values such as integrity, compassion, kindness and caring for others. When we do not live in harmony with these values chaos and suffering are the result. This is what is happening in our world today.

Mahatma Gandhi once remarked that to improve the world, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It is up to each us to become good human beings and to bring more good into the world. It has to start with individual self-improvement. If enough human beings are doing good then there can be a tipping point toward massive world improvement. This is how we can build a better world, clean up some of the mess and resolve some of the major world problems.

P.S. Here is a link to a song I wrote about coming together to build a better world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ibJn0fOLIx

Raymond Gerson is an adjunct professor of college and career success courses at Austin Community College. He is author of Achieve College Success and Achieve Career Success and trains educators how to teach these strategies.

For more information:

http://www.collegereadinesstraining.com

Four free gifts:

By Raymond Gerson

What do the following major problems have in common?

1. Severe budget cuts to schools, bashing of teachers, lack of a broad based curriculum for developing critical and creative thinking students and test cheating scandals?

2. Allowing civilians to buy assault weapons that can be used to murder innocent children and adults?

3. Inadequate mental health services?

4. Unaffordable health care services and millions of uninsured?

5. High rates of poverty?

6. Global warming, climate changes with bizarre  weather patterns and allowing the destruction of the planet?

7. The crash of 2008 that led to a severe economic crisis?

8. Extreme materialism and money as top priority?

9.  Special interest  groups and corporations having greater influence on politicians than the people?

10.  High crime rates and overcrowded prisons?

All of these problems reflect a need for more people to adopt and live by humane values-the type of values which are indicative of the ideals of humanity. Values such as kindness, caring for others, sense of fairness, love, integrity and compassion make us good human beings. Adopting and acting on these human values is the antidote and solution to many problems in the world today.

Certainly there are many people who display these values, but many more people with humane values are needed if we are to reach a tipping point. For us to create a world that reflects love and caring for all it must begin with each individual. To reach critical mass the consciousness of more people must be raised so that the problems mentioned are unacceptable and not tolerated.

It is for each of us to get in touch with our humanity and with others to positively influence our leaders or replace them with people who will lead with humane values and virtues. Are we as a human family willing to put into action those values which will create a better world for everyone? This is a question for each of us to answer.

P.S. I would like to hear your thoughts and comments about the ideas expressed in this article.

Raymond Gerson is an adjunct professor of college and career success courses at Austin Community College. He is author of Achieve College Success and Achieve Career Success and trains educators how to teach these strategies.

For more information:

http://www.collegereadinesstraining.com

Four free gifts:

By Raymond Gerson

Frequent high stakes testing, hours of test prep drills, large classes and reduction or elimination of art, music and P.E. are taking their toll on both students and teachers. School counselors have reported an increase in A.D.H.D., anxiety, depression and other psychological problems among students. Parents have reported that as early as elementary school their children are starting to hate school and are turning off. Many students are bored and stressed out from the constant pressure to perform on high stakes bubble tests. 

Children begin school with a natural curiosity and intrinsic motivation to learn. Learning should be an enjoyable process which stimulates student imagination, creativity, ability to think for oneself and the ability to solve problems that have more than one right answer. This type of learning experience will prepare students to become well-informed and productive members of society and to work in good careers in the future. Many current educational environments are breaking the spirits of students and teachers and are turning off intrinsic motivation to learn and teach.

Many wealthy and powerful individuals (and organizations) with little or no teaching experience are influencing educational policies which are destructive. They are in favor of frequent high stakes testing, large classes, closing public schools and reducing courses in the arts except when it comes to their own children. Their children usually attend private schools with small classes, health support services, plenty of courses in the arts and little or no frequent high stakes standardized tests with hours of test prep drills. This is hypocritical and inhumane.

Children need to be emotionally healthy to live successful and fulfilling lives as adults. Development of their emotional and social intelligence are important if they are to grow into fully functioning adults with humane values. Values such as kindness, caring for others, love, integrity and compassion make us good human beings. Students will learn these values from the example of adults and by the way adults treat them. The way many students are being treated is lowering their sense of self-worth, diminishing their creativity, blocking their potential and teaching them to be less compassionate and empathetic.

Teachers should be allowed to teach and create their own lesson plans based on the curriculum that they are teaching. They need time to teach students to think for themselves instead of spending hours doing test prep. They also need time to collaborate with other teachers.

There are schools which are excellent models of education such as the one in Finland. Instead of modeling our education system after successful ones, the U.S. is following in the footsteps of educational systems like the one in Chile which is a “free market” disaster.

The changes that are needed for a great education system will not come from the top down until there is enough action and pressure from the bottom up. Students, parents, teachers and school administrators will need to protest in large numbers before the PTB will make necessary changes. An example of this occurred recently in Texas. Mothers who were angry about all of the high stakes testing convinced the state politicians to take action. They voted to reduce the amount of yearly standardized tests from fifteen to five.

Let’s reawaken a love of learning in our students, treat them with humane values and give our teachers opportunities to teach students to think for themselves.

Raymond Gerson is an adjunct professor of college and career success courses at Austin Community College. He is author of Achieve College Success and Achieve Career Success and trains educators how to teach these strategies.

For more information go to:

http://www.collegereadinesstraining.com

Four free gifts: