Values are to be admired not given.
- Andrea L. Johnson
- May 1, 2017
- 2 min read
Have you ever heard this expression: " He would give you the shirt off his back" or this other expression that is so often used: " He doesn't have a pot to piss in or one to throw out." Often we would hear these commonly used phrases expressed but both applies to two very different situations. The first phrase symbolizes that the first guy would willingly and immediately do anything to help you, even if it means giving you his shirt, if you need it. And in the case of the second expression, this man has nothing to offer, because he is possibly poor. We don't know why he needs a pot to piss in, or one to throw out for that matter but we can assume he is poor. And the first guy who so readily and easily gives up his shirt, does this imply that we should trust his help or question his motive or question our intentions? Which brings me to the topic about values.
A few days ago while contemplating a topic about my next Work2Rise Blog post, I came across one of Maya Angelou's quotes and the topic of values came about.
"I do not trust people who don’t love themselves and yet tell me, ‘I love you.’ There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt."
My reaction to reading Maya Angelou's quote made me consider how the African proverb brings insight into her reasons for saying how she did not trust people who did not love themselves.
Angelou's quote signifies that if a person does not love themselves then they wont be able to truly satisfy their need for security and safety, nor will they be able to provide safety or security to another. Therefore we must look deeply at our own selves and see if our values are in line with what we say or do. Is our actions like the naked individual; offering false promises of love, security, and protection without first covering, loving (protecting) ourselves( our values) . Or are we the individual receiving the benefits of the naked person without questioning our own motives? Does it feel good, Is it right ? Do we care; because the way we treat ourselves demonstrates that values are only admired when displayed and not given away.
Work2Rise: To find out about your own personal values take this assessment test for fun:
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