Values

The author explains thoroughly the two kinds of values and the need to discern the good values to be strengthened during this modern times and changing world, where a lot of pressures challenge us.  It emphasizes that ones sense of values determine our attitude toward life and our behavior toward others.  Values, consciously and unconciously guides us in our decision makings.  True enough, our sense of values is a very important component of man''s life.  Since not all values are proper and good, it is importnat that we should know its effects on our daily life and relationships.
Life is short and limited and we try to find meaning in our activities and relationships.  Our moral sense of values flows our attitude toward God, toward nature and toward our fellow beings.    How we perceive God depends on our sense of values.  Merely participating in different religious activities does not guarantee a good sense of values.  The author explains that how we personally see God in our life reflects our attitude towards our environment and others.  Nature gives us an abundant wealth through its mountains and valleys, various bodies of water, its plants and animals and its minerals.  We may exploit them for our selfish motives or use them wisely, develop and cherish them for the generations to come after us.  We must also acknowledge that nature has its ways of avenging for whoever violates its harmony.
And what is our attitude toward fellowmen?  As we seek harmony with others, we should always remember that no matter what race, sex, nationality, social-political-economic-religious status and affiliations, educational attainment, beliefs a man has, each is important in this life and in this world.  Each has to perform to the best of his abilities the self-appointed tasks.  Without others, cannot attain anything by ourselves alone because we need one another to achieve something.  Each is a piece in the puzzle that makes it a whole.  Each is worth our consideration and respect.
Aesthetic values are those what we  consider as pleasing and beautiful.  Do we prefer to live lavishly and flashy in what we do and say?  Or do we prefer to live simple and quiet life?
Our times nowadays push us to our limits because of the pressures that we can everyday.  And it is in this time when we have refine our sense of values and strengthen them.  The author suggested to expose ourselves to all forms of arts - literature, music and drama, architecture, painting and sculpture.  The artist, for whatever medium he uses, incorporate in his works what he considers is right and proper, desirable and beautiful.
And for us who are recipients of these forms of arts, say a movie or a play or a poem, unconciously we play the two roles simultaneously - that of participant and an onlooker.
As a participant, we lose our personal identity and identify ourselves to the characters, especially to a particular character whom we become sympathetic.  We understand why the character behave the way she he does.  Because of this, we as participants, are ready to make allowances for the faults and shortcomings of this character.  We become more tolerant and forgiving.
As an onlooker, we may judge each character in terms of our sense of values.  We condemn his opinions, his attitudes and actuations when the character does not come up to our expectations.  Or we can admire and decide to copy the character whose opinions, attitudes and actuations come up to or exceed to our sense of values.  Here, we feel that we are better than any of the characters and although we share the characters'' problems and experiences, we know that they are not ours.
To strengthen our sense of values, exposing to all forms of arts will give us a cathartic experiences where we can internalizem and gain fortitude to cope with similar problems and difficulties in the future.  the author has further explains that catharsis has a therapeutic value comparable to vaccination.  that when vaccination is done, our system automatically builds up defense that remains even long after the germs have been killed.  When our system is infected with the same disease again, it can ward off the disease.
He ended his essay by stating that art can teach us without being aware of it but can edify and uplift others and ourselves and God as the Artist.