Values vs Morals
Morals and values are guiding forces in the lives of individuals as they give them a sense of direction as also a code of conduct when interacting with others in the society. We are always looking for the moral of a story or the deeper message the author wants to convey to the society. On the other hand, we want our kids to undergo a value based education to be able to stand firmly in their lives as adults. We think of morals as proper or right behavior code while values are our beliefs about what is right and wrong. There are many more differences between morals and values that will be talked about in this article.
Values
Right from our childhood, we are taught as to how to behave and interact with others in the society. Values are belief systems that an individual builds up as he grows about things, people, and social issues and concepts as to what is right and what is wrong.
Values are mostly built gradually, but the foundation is provided by our parents, teachers, text books, and our religion. We are greatly influenced by the deeds of great men and women from the past and decide to stick to the values they held in their lives. Values are fundamental beliefs that tell us what is right and wrong and what is just and fair. If someone believes honesty is the best policy, it tells others that he holds the value of honesty very high in his life. Talking of values, there are many concepts that are dear to our heart such as the values of democracy, honesty, justice, liberty, patriotism, respect, love, compassion etc.
Morals
We keep hearing about moral and immoral behavior and mostly the word immoral has come to mean having illicit relations or indulging in sexual acts that are considered wrong by the society and religion. Thus, morals are values that are imposed from outside and meant to guide us in our interaction with others in the society. Morals are codes of conduct that are deemed to be right for us and we are expected to follow them.
Most of the morals come from religion though there are also morals that are imposed by a particular political system as in a communist society; hoarding is considered a sin against fellow people. We consider someone or something immoral on the basis of our values. Morals are like unwritten laws and meant to be followed like commandments in a religion. Morals are mandatory, and all individuals are expected to follow them. Moral is also an adjective that means good or right.
What is the difference between Values and Morals?
• Morals and values are concepts very close in meaning and meant to keep us on the right path while live and interact with others in a society.
• Morals are codes of conduct that tell us what is right and what is wrong, and they mostly come from religion and society.
• Values are internal belief systems held by individuals that guide their behavior.
• Values are personal and subjective while morals are universal and objective.
• Values can change while morals remain the same.