We explain what antivalues are, what types exist and various examples. Also, what are values and why are they important?
What are antivalues?
Anti-values are behaviors or attitudes of the Humans that are harmful and negative for others. They are the opposite of values, that is, to beliefs that are considered important and that, according to the ethical point of view, moral and cultural tradition, may vary according to the different societies.
What for a culture is considered correct, for another it may be harmful or an anti-value. However, there are common values that transcend cultural barriers and ideologies, for example, love, honesty and the I respect. The antivalues of these examples are hatred, immorality, and discrimination.
Anti-values threaten the important beliefs on which life in society is based, for example, against respect, tolerance, honesty, responsibility, the loyalty, the solidarity and harmony.
When antivalues govern the conduct of a person, this is usually negative, cold, insensitive, apathetic and does not care about the consequences that their actions have on others. Therefore, antivalues affect all aspects of the life, both personal, family, school and professional.
Types of antivalues
The types of anti-values can be grouped according to various criteria or areas where they are triggered. Among the main categories of anti-values are:
- Religious or spiritual. Negative towards others due to their religious conditions.
- Socioeconomic. Negative towards others due to their social or economic status.
- Corporate or labor. Negative towards others due to their professional abilities.
- Personal or psychological. Negative towards others for problems internal ones (emotional or psychological).
- Cultural or traditional. Negative towards others for learned and incorporated beliefs.
- Political or ideological. Negative towards those who defend certain political positions contrary to personal ones.
- Aesthetic Negative towards those who do not meet the standards of beauty accepted by society.
Examples of antivalues
Irresponsibility at the wheel is an anti-value because it is detrimental to others.Some examples of antivalues are:
- Arrogance. It is the lack of modesty, when someone manifests a attitude of superiority or contempt towards others and considers that they deserve greater privileges than the rest. For example, an academic professional who has a few years of working experience complains to his boss because it seemed unfair that another colleague (with just more years of experience than him, but without formal studies) has received recognition for his work.
- Dishonesty. It is the lack of integrity, when someone deceives others in order to obtain their own benefit. For example, a clerical worker who altered data numerical of report made by a colleague in order to damage his image in front of the boss.
- Inequality. It is the lack of parity or correspondence, when someone compares himself with others and considers them different, of a different nature. For example, a man who thinks he should charge a salary greater than that of a woman who has the same abilities to do a job, just because of the difference in gender.
- Selfishness. It is the lack of gratitude, when someone shows excessive love for himself and only deals with what refers to his interest and profit, without attending to the needs of others. For example, a person who gets on public transport first and does not yield to an older adult or a pregnant woman waiting behind him.
- Envy. It is the lack of altruism, when someone experiences sadness or anger for not having what they want or what another has. For example, a person who cannot take vacations several times a year because his work does not allow it, has a friend who can do it and, nevertheless, instead of rejoicing, he says: “Again to the same destination? ? How boring!".
- Slavery. It is the lack of freedom, when someone treats other beings as lacking in rights and their property, for the simple reason of considering them different and inferior. For example, a person who has in his power and under threats foreign and undocumented persons working clandestinely in his textile company, without contracts no salaries and extremely long hours.
- Disrespect It is the lack of consideration, when someone does not tolerate others just because they do not understand them or because they are different, and shows indifference and lack of appreciation. For example, a student who plays and is distracted without paying attention to the teacher while explaining the class.
- Irresponsibility. It is the lack of obligation, when someone does not have the will to fulfill their compromises or tasks (whether they are compulsory or voluntary). For example, a person who crosses the street looking at his cell phone and does not pay attention to the traffic light is an act of irresponsibility that can cause harm to the person or others.
- Injustice. It is the lack of rights, when someone acts without a sense of the common good or of balance in the face of an event, a thing or a person. For example, a person who kicks a dog in the street because he considers it an inferior being, lacking in reason, feelings or Rights.
- Hate. It is the lack of love, when someone shows repulsion, resentment and resentment towards others, to the point that they have the desire to confront them in order to destroy them. For example, a person who denigrates and mistreats others because of his homosexual condition, his type of religion or their political ideology.
Values
Values are principles or qualities that give meaning to things, events or people. The existence of a value is the result of the interpretation made by a subject that is conditioned by the customs and traditions of the society in which he lives, that is, they are abstract ideas of thought that define the way people behave.
They are positive, useful and necessary qualities to maintain harmony in societies. They exist, beyond being recognized as such. Understanding and knowing your own values can help take decisions on how to live life.
For example, deciding whether a long-term job is worth it, considering that it does not leave weather enough to share with the family, or question whether the daily habits that are part of the culture are still positive today or need to change (such as excessive use of plastic).