What are some standards that are most important in your life?
In this question, you can focus on either critical-thinking or non-critical-thinking standards (such as the ones on pages 153 or 154). For example, you might hold yourself to a standard of honesty, of ability in sports, of being a good sister or brother.
- How did you acquire those standards?
- How have they changed over the years?
In my life, I try to be a decent person, to set a good example and not be mean or apathetic toward other people. In trying to be and do these things, some of the standards that are most important in my life are being consistent and reliable, spontaneous, ethical, loving and spiritual.
The critical-thinking standards 'reliable and consistent' appeal to my desire to set a good example to people I encounter in my life. I strive to be consistent in my integrity and in the level of work that I do. I want to consistently work hard, try to do the right thing, and ask the right questions. I want to be reliable in my words and actions. I want to be relied upon to do the right thing and be a decent person. I also want to be consistently compassionate and reliably kind. I acquired these standards by watching my parents and seeing what I admired in their work ethics and how they approached life. They both work very hard, my Mom finally able to retire after almost 35 years of teaching English and ESL. She became a National Board certified teacher in her 28th year of teaching. How many people continue striving for excellence even that far into their careers? It is a lot of work to become National Board certified, at least a year of preparation and putting together a presentation for review. I was there the day she got the news that her presentation had been accepted and that she was now certified to teach anywhere in the USA. She was ecstatic! She showed me that hard work and working for continuous improvement does pay off. My Dad is an airplane mechanic and has been working in this career for over 25 years. He is the guy that some people have trouble working with because he knows the books, he knows what works and doesn't work and he understands why quality checks and following the rules is important in his job. He sometimes works with people who want to take a shortcut and he isn't going to do that unless it is permissible and is the right thing to do. The work he does keeps people safe. He will not ever compromise when it could mean endangering anyone. It isn't fun always taking the long way and following the rules. I think of him when I'm at work and I really feel like taking short-cuts or doing less than awesome work. I always sigh deeply and with chagrin, do the right thing. It takes longer and it takes more effort, but in the long run, I can stand by my work and know I did the very best. I never regret that.
The non-critical thinking standards: spontaneous, ethical, loving and spiritual are how I want to live my life and as we know, are not essential to critical thinking. I can still be consistent while having fun or being spontaneous...which sounds contradictory but I believe it is possible. (Like being consistently inconsistent.) Trying to live my life ethically is important to me because ultimately, I'm the one who has to answer for my mistakes and actions. We are all where we are because of choices we've made, no matter the situation. I think that by living as ethically as I can, it is easier to accept where I am as the place I'm meant to be. Being a loving and spiritual person is also important to me. I saw how my grandparents lived and want to make sure that I'm following that example. They farmed in southeast South Dakota from post-war 1950's until about 2000. They worked very hard but didn't have a lot of money while raising their three children. They taught values of hard work and being honest to my Mom and two uncles. They all still follow the model of strong family ties and loving each other unconditionally...even if that means tough love. We were raised to know that material things weren't a guarantee but that love and spirituality were. No matter where I am in life, I hold onto these things and feel closer to my grandparents even though they are no longer alive. I guess the same could be said of the critical-thinking standards too...my grandparents set the bar there too.
These standards have changed over the years because I'm human and subsequently fallible and therefore must evaluate, do better, and move forward again. I think that's how it is supposed to be though, life is dynamic and if we don't grow and change with it, we really miss out. I'm not the same person I was when I was 21. When I was 21, my standards had to do with surviving the bar scene and paying rent on my crappy apartment. I was dealing with a crazy roommate and wanted more than anything for people to like me. Now I'm 41 and I'm a different person. I went through being a military wife, deployments, miscarriages, divorce, finding love again, remarriage, and trying to survive the self-doubt and pain that can linger long after those things that break our hearts and spirit. Understanding that the ability to consistently and reliably adapt will help us is an essential truth of living.
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