My Top Five Core Values (10 is too many)

[LoriPinkAngel]

A different thread said that religious cultures have religiosity as a core value.  Well in "Lori Culture" it is not.

These are my Top Five Core Values

Raise my kid to be a decent person.
Use the skills I have to help other people & animals.
Treat other people as I wish to be treated.
Try not to do any further damage to the Earth.
Preserve and promote the Arts.

I would be interested if any other members want to add their lists.

[Nick]

Lori, a very good list to go by.  Congrats.

[jdawg70]

I consider my list to be in eternal flux, but at the moment:
1) Reality matters.
2) Being wrong happens.  Accept it and don't feel bad about it.
3) "Kindness" covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try.[1]
4) Recognize misery in others; if possible, do something about it.
5) Wear sunscreen[2]

1.	Roger Ebert - Life Itself: A Memoir
2.	Mary Schmich

[LoriPinkAngel]

Wearing sunscreen is very important but that is on a different list...   

[One Above All]

Here're my top three:
1. State the truth, no matter the consequences.
2. Preserve life at all costs, except when it would conflict with rule #1.
3. Preserve free will at all costs, except when it would conflict with rules #1 and #2.

[Quesi]

1.   Empathize!
2.   Consider the impact of your actions.  Everything we do has an impact that resonates bigger and farther than we think. 
3.   Never stop learning and growing.
4.   Spread joy. 
5.   Name injustices. 

[Petey]

Just 2 for me.

1. Be excellent to each other.
2. Party on, dudes!

[LoriPinkAngel]

Just 2 for me.

1. Be excellent to each other.
2. Party on, dudes!

Are you Wayne or Garth? 

[Petey]

Just 2 for me.

1. Be excellent to each other.
2. Party on, dudes!

Are you Wayne or Garth? 

Blasphemy!

[Jag]

^^^Bill or Ted? 

[Jag]

I had reason to work through this recently - more on that some other time though. I came up with the "dogma" of the "religion" I'm going to promote to my granddaughter as she grows up, in order to avoid stepping on any toes (her mommy's) and still convey what I think are the most important "rules" for her to know about life. This is a draft version, in progress after I finish finals next week.

1. Respect yourself, others, your possessions and resources, and the planet
2. Say what you mean, and mean what you say
3. Always aim first for the greatest benefit to the most people. If that is not an option, then go for the least harm to the fewest people
4. Be truthful without being unnecessarily unkind, including to yourself
5. Other people's feelings are as real to them as your own are to you - remember that and act accordingly

[Petey]

^^^Bill or Ted? 

Much better.  And I choose option C...Rufus 

[Jag]

^^^

[magicmiles]

Just speaking as a person with no consideration of my faith, they would be:

* generosity
* Punctuality
* honesty
* sense of humour
* honouring committments

[ParkingPlaces]

5) Wear sunscreen

Not derailing, just being honest (one of my five core values). It turns out that skin cancer rates have risen since sunscreen became such a big thing because people think that using the stuff means they can spend even more time in the sun.

It's like all those organic/healthy/mineral rich salts you can spend so much for in health food stores. Users have higher blood pressure because they think that  "healthy" salt is something they can eat more of.

The obvious solution: Spread salt on your body before going out in the sun and making the trip short. And eating the sunscreen instead of salt. Notice how I modestly left my brilliance off the following list.

Besides honesty:

2. Friendship
3. Walk Softly in the environment
4. Sincerity
5. Find all the idiots and beat them with sticks.

I may have to replace #4 with "grow more sticks".

[Astreja]

• Face your fears head-on at every possible opportunity.
• Only make a promise or accept an obligation if you intend to keep it... And then do so.
• Truth spoken awkwardly or hesitantly is still truth.
• Just about anything can be improved with practice.
• Resentment, over-commitment and fatigue are not virtues.  Better to say "No, I can't," and defer to someone else, than to do a bad job.
  

[Seppuku]

Hmm...I haven't really thought about this. I guess I could boil them down to (in no particular order):

1) Family & Friendship
2) Doing my best to do well by others
3) Making life about happiness, not wealth or pleasure
4) Education. Education beats ignorance.
5) Accepting responsibilities

I probably am not true to my values all the time or as often as I should, but I would say those are probably my top 5 core values.

[LoriPinkAngel]

• Face your fears head-on at every possible opportunity.
• Only make a promise or accept an obligation if you intend to keep it... And then do so.
• Truth spoken awkwardly or hesitantly is still truth.
• Just about anything can be improved with practice.
• Resentment, over-commitment and fatigue are not virtues.  Better to say "No, I can't," and defer to someone else, than to do a bad job.
  

I had to learn #5 the hard way.

[Astreja]

I had to learn #5 the hard way.

Me too...  Took till about age 36 or so (circa 1994) to start to get that one.  Still prone to an occasional relapse, but nowhere near what it used to be.

[Nam]

1. Take no BS from people; including yourself.
2. Protect those who are unable to protect themselves.
3. Try to be succinct as possible (unless you're fucking with them or fucking them)
4. Be as grammatical as possible. (Goes with #3 unless fucking)
5. Attempt the use of sarcasm as much as possible.
6. Remember that you're not special. (unless you're pretty...pretty ugly)
7. Equality means everyone not just certain people (unless they're named Maggie the Opinionated)
8. Idiots do exist: look in the fucking mirror!
9. Rational, and logical thinking is your best friend.
10. Most people are all talk therefore fuck with them as much as possible unless it conflicts with 1-9.

-Nam

[jdawg70]

5) Wear sunscreen

Not derailing, just being honest (one of my five core values). It turns out that skin cancer rates have risen since sunscreen became such a big thing because people think that using the stuff means they can spend even more time in the sun.

I believe that - thanks for the info.

I would like to just clarify that when I list 'Wear Sunscreen', I meant that as a placeholder for:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-schmich-sunscreen-column,0,4054576.column

It's an old-but-favorite piece.

[nogodsforme]

These are my new improved ten strong suggestions:

don't kill anyone unless in defense of yourself or someone else;
don't have sex with anyone without their permission;
don't hurt children, the elderly or the disabled;
don't enslave anyone;
don't take advantage of anyone for your own gain;
don't mistreat people of different genders, sexualities or ethnicities;
don't abuse animals for fun or profit;
don't do nasty sh!t to the environment that you can't fix;
don't persecute people who do not believe the myths and legends of your faith or tell them they are going to hell.

Basically, all these could be rephrased to be more positive: try to live by the the golden rule.

[ParkingPlaces]

I believe that - thanks for the info.

I would like to just clarify that when I list 'Wear Sunscreen', I meant that as a placeholder for:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-schmich-sunscreen-column,0,4054576.column

It's an old-but-favorite piece.

Hadn't seen that one dawg. Enjoyed it. Thanks for the link.

[Schizoid]

I've got to admit, I've never considered what my core values are or have ever felt a need to list them.  I'm not keen on lists.  I just am what I am and I'm happy and satisfied to go on being that.

That's basically it.