Context

The nine Aspirational Values fall under three categories:

  1. High Character - truth, trust, and virtue.
    1. Commit to truth: pursue truth, be honest.
    2. Build high levels of trust: honor your word.
    3. Virtue: do what’s right. Embody the four ancient virtues of Wisdom, Courage, Justice, and Temperance.
  2. Respect - see the good in others.
    1. Commitment to think win/win: align self-interest with others for mutual benefit and interdependence.
    2. Open-mindedness: have the humility and willingness to consider new or different ideas and improve one’s own.
    3. Tolerance: accept people’s differences in thought, action, and belief.
    4. Civility: maintain goodwill, politeness, and respect, even in disagreement.
  3. Contribution - help others and better yourself.
    1. Voluntary/loving kindness: be caring and compassionate to others without expecting anything in return.
    2. Consistent self-improvement: aim high, fall short, do well. Setbacks are our teachers; the obstacle is the way. Inspire others by your example.

More detail on each of the nine Aspirational Values

  1. High Character - doing the right thing for the right reasons. This includes the four ancient virtues:
  2. Commitment to Thinking Win/Win - aligning our self-interest with the interests of others for mutual benefit. We should foster cooperation and long-term relationships to raise standards of living for all. This requires carefully listening to understand other people and their ways of thinking.
  3. Open-Mindedness - being willing to consider new or different ideas from our own. We all hold incorrect views. Without being fickle, we should seek to improve our ideas by listening to others.
  4. Tolerance - recognizing that people look, think, act, love, and live differently. We should accept peaceful behavior and beliefs, even when we personally disapprove of them. We should tolerate other people living however they choose, so long as they don't initiate non-consensual aggression. We are legally intolerant of aggressors - people should have no option but to comply with the Legal Principle. To allow otherwise is to allow people to aggress against others.
  5. Voluntary Kindness - being caring, compassionate, and generous to others in need, even when there is nothing tangible to gain. Forced kindness violates the Legal Principle, but being voluntarily kind and inspiring others to be, helps create a peaceful world.
  6. Civility Towards Others - maintaining a dignified demeanor of friendship, politeness, goodwill, and respect toward others. We should choose calmness in the face of disagreement, not hold resentment, and be non-judgmental. We should set a good example, even when others are uncivilized.
  7. A Commitment to Truth - pursuing knowledge about what is objectively true about nature and the universe.
  8. Building High Levels of Trust - honoring our word and fulfilling what we promise. Trust is the foundation of every human relationship. We should act in ways that inspire others to believe in our integrity and high character.
  9. Consistent Self-Improvement - recognizing that no human is perfect, but bringing the best new version of ourselves forward. Every setback is an opportunity for growth. By taking responsibility for our mistakes, we can constructively learning from them through practice, diligence, and dedication.

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