| Higher Values | Lower Values |
| Fearlessness | Greed |
| Acceptance | Lust |
| Purity of Mind | Anger |
| Gratitude | Ego |
| Service & Charity | Illusion |
| Sacrifice | Envy |
| Deep Study | |
| Truthfulness | |
| Austerity | |
| Straightforwardness | |
| Non-violence | |
| Absence of Anger | |
| Renunciation | |
| Perspective | |
| Restraint from Fault Finding | |
| Compassion toward all living beings | |
| Satisfaction | |
| Gentleness | |
| Kindness | |
| Integrity | |
| Determination | |
Higher vs Lower Values
My wife made a list of higher vs. lower values in response to a quote she heard:
“There are always more ways to be pulled up than to be pulled down.”
I think this is a simple but brilliant, basic yet transforming principle that when implemented elevates our engagement.
You might be able to come up with your own lists, like the contrasting fruit of the Spirit and deeds of the flesh from Paul’s letter to the Galatians (Galatians 5:19-23).
Or you might be inspired by the Sikh’s 5 Thieves vs. 5 Virtues (lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride vs. truth, contentment, compassion, humility, love).
Another classic list is the the seven virtues vs. the seven deadly sins (temperance, prudence, courage, justice, faith, hope, and love vs. pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth).
The challenge with these lists is that we seek symmetry and it gives the impression of equality, that is, evil and good are equal. The truth is that they are not. Good is a higher reality. It is the higher road. It is the better option. The encouragement of all sacred writings and philosophies is: Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good (Rom. 12:21).
Goodness is the only investment which never fails. (Henry David Thoreau)
