As the New Year approaches and the old one is coming to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the concepts of old and new. In our present-day society, we adore the new and often dismiss things from the past – even the recent past – be they objects, ideas, or values. We consider these older things outmoded and obsolete, whereas we jump to adopt everything that’s shiny and new.
In his 2016 (but entirely current) book: The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter, the author David Sax states that retro is very much back in vogue. He describes how people have returned in droves to the old things that had supposedly been replaced by their digital versions.
He explains that this is because the old things connect us and give us a sense of community; they bring us what he calls the “real-world pleasures” of physical objects. These not-so-obsolete old things include board games, vinyl records, Kodak instant cameras, books and typewriters.
I feel similarly toward the old-school values. We may have let these old-fashioned notions of politeness, honesty and integrity slide in the era of misinformation, rampant rudeness, and the resurgence of xenophobia but I think that these values are overdue for a resurgence.
The world is in a political, social and environmental crisis and we need to get back to being the kinds of citizens who make a meaningful difference to our families, workplaces and communities.
I suggest that we start cultivating some of these old-school values in the New Year. I’m convinced that by doing so, we can bring a much-needed measure of civility, sensibility and civic-mindedness to our actions.
Here’s a list of the 10 old-school values that we need to bring back in 2019.
Courage: Courage seems in short supply these days; especially emotional courage. When bullies harass the vulnerable we stand by in silence when we what we need to do is speak out against them. It’s hard to be brave, but the world needs us to step up, even in small ways, and do the right thing. Nothing is going to change if we live our lives in fear of repercussions for speaking out.
Kindness: Our acts of kindness foster caring and altruism in others. Selfishness leaves everyone alone and unsupported. Not so long ago, people had a stronger sense of connection. They helped their neighbors and contributed to their community. Everyone benefited. Being kind makes people feel a sense of belonging; it brings everyone together, making people want to pay it forward. Kindness always multiplies. Kindness transforms the world.
Respect: Children are being raised these days with little respect for their parents or other adults. Students have minimal respect for their teachers and the growing trend is for employees to disrespect their bosses. But when people are filled with contempt for their elders or superiors, they fail to learn from those who are wiser and more experienced. That keeps people ignorant and arrogant and doomed to repeat the tragic mistakes that their elders have already learned from.
Courtesy: People who are filled with love and concern for others are naturally polite toward friends and strangers alike. Courteous people feel more connected to others and less alienated. They’re less lonely and they have a greater sense of belonging. This has a tremendously positive impact on their physical and mental well-being.
Tolerance: The society we’re living in today is more multi-cultural than ever and yet we seem to be less and less tolerant of our differences. We need to stop judging and fearing each-other and start celebrating the things that make us special and unique. Hatred and fear breed violence and societal disruption, whereas tolerance breeds compassion, cooperation, peaceful cohabitation and social progress.
Responsibility: It’s often easier to blame others than accept responsibility for our own actions. We need to understand that when we deflect responsibility, we never have a chance to learn from our mistakes or to stop making them. The only way to be empowered in our lives is to accept responsibility for the choices that we make and to use our mistakes as opportunities for learning and growth.
Common Sense: There’s a lot to be said for thinking things through to their logical conclusions; for making decisions based on the most likely outcomes; for basing our choices on the facts rather than our uninformed opinions, and for gathering essential information about a person or situation instead of acting impulsively. We spare ourselves a great deal of suffering when we start exercising a bit of common sense.
Integrity: These days, we expect so little of each-other that we’re not surprised or bothered when people break their promises or behave without honor. Integrity is so important because without it, we can’t trust each-other or believe in each-other. A lack of integrity leads inevitably, to cynicism, and cynicism leads to selfishness and cruelty; none of which benefit the individual or society.
Honesty: Honesty is so important. We need to know that when someone in a position of trust is telling us something, it’s the truth. The people around us need to count on us telling them the truth, as well. It’s a scary and confusing world out there, and it’s only when we can trust each-other to tell the truth that we can have clarity and make empowered decisions about our lives.
Patience: These days, technology has made everything happen so quickly that we’ve gotten used to instant gratification. We need to recognize, however, that some really good things take time, and that waiting for them makes them feel more worthwhile. We need to cultivate the virtue of patience because it builds character and because often, the instant versions of things aren’t anywhere close to the best versions.
This is my list of old-school virtues to cultivate in 2019. What are the virtues that you want to cultivate in the New Year?
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