Values, Compromises and Violations

Today, we will explore and tread the thin line that seemingly separates values and Compromises.

What are values and how important are they ? Under what circumstances does one forego his values, will that amount to a Violation or is it a mere one-Off compromise ?

Well, values according to me are certain basic principles or ethical rules that govern the way we act, react and respond to changes around us.These are shaped by the environment in which we are brought up, the education that we receive(both formally and informally) and the experiences that we face during the course of our lifetime.For example, if you are born and brought up in a vegetarian family, you grow up under the belief that its the best way to go, whereas, for a person in Iceland, eating fish and meat is a way of life. To him, that soundz pretty normal since people all around him accept and give recognition to this food habit ( Non-vegetarianism).

So, we find that there are somethings called Personal values, while there are some habits/practices which could be classified under professional and social values.
In case of food habits, it becomes more of social values and principle that governs a person's choice although there is a certain limited allowance given in terms of personal choices and likes and dislikes.But these should be within the permissible limits of the society in which a particular individual resides.
Say for example, in a Society that is primarily Vegetarian in nature, requests for Non-Veggie food are not entertained kindly. In case that society is more fundamental, it might result in a particular individual getting banished or treated as an out-cast. So, Society does has its own ways to impose and channelize our tastes and interests.

Coming to the topic of Values and Compromise, lets take up a situation wherein it so happens that an individual is faced with a situation where he foresees that his value system would get violated, how does one respond to it ??
Some questions that could be put forth, when a doubt arises with regards to violation of particular value(s) are as follows :
1) How serious is the given situation.?
2) Is it a question of survival, or is the given situation more of a luxury ?
3) What are the consequences of adhering/violating my value under the given circumstance, what do I gain/lose in this situation.

So continues our train of thoughts in this attempt to understand our thoughts, emotions and actions better in this journey of life....