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My Protected Values


My Belief System
There are many things I believe in. These protected values are important to me so much so that I think about them every day and there isn’t anything that could make me trade-off my values for something else. People often draw a line in the sand to create values that are protected from trade-offs (Hoch, Kunreuther, & Gunther, 2001, p. 251). As I get older, I spend time reflecting on my beliefs and I ask myself challenging questions, such as does it make sense to believe in this? Have my beliefs changed over time? What should I believe in?
Values
Three things that are protected values (PV) to me are my beliefs in Jesus Christ, the environment and my family bond. As is the case with Jesus Christ, I believe he died for me and you. I believe this because of the power he has had in shaping my life and the lives of those around me. I have seen the miracle of life as it was almost taken from me in 2006 when I was almost killed in an assault. Without his intervention, I would not be here today. He also gave me faith when several people around me died unexpectedly. The power of Jesus Christ got me through these tragedies and provided the motivation I needed to survive. He was also instrumental in guiding me through uncertain times of transition with my employment, which took me away from my family, had me working all hours of the night and was backbreaking. In no way would I consider a trade-off for the PV of Jesus Christ. In each example, I would have lost significantly more (my life and those around me) if I changed my belief of my Lord and Savior.
I believe that we should be saving our planet, rather than continue down the current path. Our planet has been warning us of the devastation human beings have had on it over the last 1000 years. I believe that we should cut our dependence on fossil fuels, stop polluting our waterways and explore space for suitable future habitats. Fossil fuels have been heating up our planet faster than naturally occurring sources. This is contributing to rising sea levels and the extinction of species in our world. But I am a hypocrite, because I still use fossil fuels. My cars, lawnmower and snowblower all use fossil fuels. This is a trade-off I consciously made and continue to make. I can’t afford an electric vehicle, so I’ve put a price on the environment I believe we should protect. When people learn that they have violated some value they hold, they may regret their action rather than revising the value (Hoch, Kunreuther, & Gunther, 2001, p. 253). I certainly do regret not being able to do more for the environment, but I also must live my life. Together, we can all do a little more until the price of that Rivian electric truck becomes more realistic.
My family is the most important thing in my life. I believe they have the second strongest effect in my life, other than Jesus Christ. I believe that I became a husband and a father for specific reasons. I was put here to marry a woman that loves me for who I am. I was put here to raise two children that are my image. I was put here to help others, many of which are unable to help themselves. There are no trade-offs that would make me change my mind to stop supporting them or them stop supporting me. We are in this life together and I can’t image being anywhere other than with them.
 Values and Decision-Making
I feel as strong, if not stronger about these PVs now then when I started writing this blog. How foolish would I look if I renounced my beliefs in my Lord, my Planet or my Family? Even though I’ve made trade-offs with the environment, it doesn’t make me a bad person. Values will continue to play an important role in the way people make decisions (Hoch, Kunreuther, & Gunther, 2001, p. 257). I would challenge my own decision-making of these PVs by stating that I could renounce my faith in Jesus Christ or cheat on my wife, but in either circumstance there is no gain. I would be considerably worse off if I traded another religion for Christianity or lust for my wife.
References
Hoch, S., Kunreuther, H., & Gunther, R. (2001). Wharton on making decisions. New York: Wiley.

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