Are You Living Your Values in How You See Others?

Do you recall situations when your actions failed to live up to your values?  For example, do you believe that everyone deserves dignity and respect? That is a simple idea that I suspect most people agree with, at least in principle. 

But what about Vladimir Putin? As someone who lived four years in Ukraine, I push back against my value of dignity and respect when I think of what Putin has done to that beautiful country. And there are others I could cross off, including the guy who gave my wife the finger on the highway. 

But once I start making exceptions, it becomes hard to decide where to draw the line. So, I think it is better not to have any lines, as hard as that can feel sometimes.  

Of course, believing that everyone is entitled to dignity and respect does not mean that people are off the hook for their behavior. Every person needs to be held accountable to follow the law, and, while it may not be illegal, expressing hatred toward others violates basic principles of Christianity and other religions, not to mention common decency.   

So how should we interact with people who engage in behaviors we find offensive? 

An inspiring story comes from when Derek Black, godson of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, was attending college in Florida. When his white nationalist views became known, a group of Jewish students invited Black to their weekly Shabbat dinners, and eventually Derek renounced white nationalism.    

Why the change? Clearly, it resulted from the relationships he had developed with the Jewish students. They could have denounced Black but, instead, treated him with dignity and respect. Those Jewish students are modern day heroes– incredible role models for us all. You can read my full column titled “Dignity and Respect” in New Hampshire Business Review at https://read.nhbr.com/nh-business-review/2024/09/06/#?article=4253542