Understanding Self-Exploration and Value Education
Self-Exploration
Self-Exploration: Self-exploration is the process of discovering what is valuable to me by investigating within myself—what is right for me and true for me, which must be judged within myself.
Through self-exploration, we gain an understanding of our self-worth. We live with different entities (family, friends, air, soil, water, trees, etc.), and we seek to understand our relationship with all these elements.
For this, we need to start observing internally. The main focus of self-exploration is myself—the human being.
Basic Contents of Self-Exploration
The content of self-exploration involves finding answers to the following fundamental questions all human beings have:
- The Desire/Goal: What is my (human) desire or goal? What do I really want in life, or what is the goal of human life?
- Program: What is my (human) program for fulfilling the desire? How do I fulfill it? What is the program to actualize the above?
In short, these two questions cover the whole domain of human aspirations and human endeavor. Thus, they form the content of self-exploration.
Process of Self-Exploration
The process of self-exploration follows these steps:
- First of all, we must keep in mind that whatever is presented is a proposal.
- Do not assume it to be true immediately, nor reject it without proper exploration. Verify it in your own right, based on whether it is naturally acceptable to you:
- Not just on the basis of scriptures.
- Not on the basis of equipment/instrument data.
- Not on the basis of the assertion by other human beings.
Therefore, it is essential to carefully ponder over these points in your own right. Neither accept these as true immediately nor reject them prematurely without proper exploration.
Importance of Value-Based Education
Value Education
The subject that enables us to understand ‘what is valuable’ for human happiness is called value education.
Value education is important to help everyone in improving the value system that he or she holds and puts to use.
Once one has understood their values in life, they can examine and control the various choices they make.
Importance of Value Education
- Value education helps us to explore our inner happiness.
- It helps us to remove the ignorance that covers our inner knowledge.
- It helps us to build up strong relationships.
- It helps us to actualize the potential that already exists within us.
- It helps us to visualize our goals clearly.
- It teaches us to be in harmony with self, people, and nature.
- It reduces the feeling of jealousy and promotes brotherhood.
Value Education: Need and Definition
Value Education Definition
The subject that enables us to understand ‘what is valuable’ for human happiness is called value education. Value education is important to help everyone in improving the value system that he or she holds and puts to use. Once one has understood their values in life, they can examine and control the various choices they make.
Needs for Value Education
The present education system has become largely skill-based. The prime emphasis is on science and technology. However, science and technology can only help provide the means to achieve what is considered valuable. It is not within the scope of science and technology to provide the competence to decide what really is valuable. Value Education is a crucial missing link in the present education system.
Because of this deficiency, most of our efforts may prove to be counterproductive, and serious crises at the individual, societal, and environmental levels are manifesting.