Values are facts and experiences that guide us morally, ethically, emotionally and serve as a common sense/knowledge that guides us to an action in different circumstances. They are our tenets of living and behavior. Every person has an inveterate set of beliefs on how the universe should be. Their prominence or priorities differ according to each individual or person. Personally, there are a few values which I feel may not be too important since the result would not matter as such. Honesty is such one value which I do not place much prominence in.
A few instances where I feel honesty can be negated to achieve a higher goal include a situation where I make a straight mistake in my workplace. Given that the mistake leads to dire consequences such as loss of the job and it was a first time, it would be prudent to lie on the same and safeguard my job. The livelihood of my family and household would be jeopardized if I lost my job. Here I am faced with justice versus mercy situation because justice would demand I take responsibilities for my mistakes while the consequences would be unbearable for my family (Kidder, 9). Therefore mercy for me and my family would demand that I lie to safeguard their interests.
Special attention, however, must be paid on the implications my mistake would have on the corporation or company. If the implication would not lead to any loss for the company, I do not see why I should lose my job then. However, if the mistake implies a loss or would harm the lives, reputation, or relations within or outside the company I would be compelled to be honest and face the consequences but yet achieve a higher goal of saving others.
Perseverance is the value in life which encourages us to continue pursuing a course of action disregarding its challenges or previous failures. At a personal level, this is one other value that I do not place priority on. In however much it has been talked about on its beautiful fruits or outcomes I tend to believe that sometimes it is the cause of many failures in life and other health disorders such as heart attacks. Perseverance is the major cause of expectations and failure to achieve some expectations has led to catastrophic effects on some people including illnesses and even suicide.
As Kidder puts it in his book, that sometimes we are faced with situations which have results some which are short-term and some long-term, our lives are full of such (Kidder, 8). Perseverance would often demand that we choose the long-term result over the short-term. However, perseverance does not consider the prospects of unaccomplished long-term results. It would be a great loss to sacrifice personal comfort and well-being with the hope of an unknown future long-term result. If for example, my current job subjects me to hard living conditions and standards, with an assurance of a lucrative position in future, it would be good to perseverance but it would be much better to look for greener pastures such as a job that offers better working conditions and a higher income. There could be a possibility that I persevere and fail.
In our daily lives, we are faced with tough ethical dilemmas which require that we exhaust all the possible outcomes or its implications before taking any step. The above two values that I have discussed are equally important but given the above situations, they could be compromised to safeguard another goal.