Values and antivalues are the qualities or properties possessed by a subject or object. They can be interpreted as valuable and desirable (values) or despicable and undesirable (antivalues). For example : Collaboration and kindness are values; selfishness and recklessness are anti-values.
In a society, values determine how people should behave. They are characterized by their polarity, as they have a positive and a negative aspect, which is what determines the difference between values and anti-values . For example:Beauty (value) is opposed to ugliness (antivalue); justice (value) is opposed to injustice (antivalue).
In general, human cultures value qualities that foster peaceful coexistence and understanding, and therefore seek to promote and teach them. Anti-values represent behaviors or attitudes that are contrary to ethical and moral ideals.
A society’s values can change over time, and what is considered a value in one era may cease to be so in the next, or even become an anti-value, and vice versa. For example:For a long time, education was based on authoritarianism, because it was considered positive for people to be obedient. Nowadays, a democratic education based on communication, which encourages independent thinking, is more valued.
- See also: Qualities and defects
Differences between values and anti-values
The main differences between values and anti-values are:
| Values | Antivalues |
| They are attributes considered positive, desirable or admirable, which society seeks to promote. | They are attributes considered negative, undesirable or reprehensible, which society seeks to discourage. |
| They are associated with the idea of “morality” or “ethics,” that is, the notion of individual or collective well-being. | They are associated with the idea of “the immoral” or “the unethical,” that is, with the notion of individual or collective discomfort. |
| They bring stability and harmony to an organized society. | They are destabilizing and harmful traits for society. |
| They are promoted by society through education, standards of conduct, and other educational institutions. For example:codes of professional ethics . | They are condemned by society through its institutions. In some cases, they are sanctioned by law. For example:irresponsible driving. |
Types of values and anti-values
According to their area of origin, values and anti-values can be classified as:
- Personal values and anti-values.These are unique to each individual and can vary depending on how a person interprets society’s norms. They are the standards one sets for oneself. For example:freedom (value), irresponsibility (anti-value).
- Family values and anti-values.These are specific to the family group, fostered from generation to generation by the elders (parents, grandparents) to the younger ones (children, grandchildren). They depend largely on the type and functioning of each family. For example:respect (value), intolerance (anti-value).
- Religious values and anti-values.These are specific to a church or to the practitioners of a particular religion. They are usually transmitted by a doctrine and are assumed to come from God or reflect the universal order of things. For example:faith (value), lies (anti-value).
- Professional values and anti-values.These are inherent to the practice of a trade, profession, or specific field of work. For example:confidentiality (value), negligence (anti-value).
- Political values and anti-values.These are inherent to the way a society is organized. They are linked to how power is understood. For example: popular sovereignty (value), corruption (anti-value).
- Universal values and anti-values.These are characteristic of most cultures and societies. They are present throughout the world as values because they represent fundamental principles for humanity. As anti-values, they are often rejected by different communities. For example:justice (value), slavery (anti-value).
- More on: Types of Securities
Examples of values and anti-values
| Worth | What does it mean | Antivalue | What does it mean |
| Responsibility | Assume the consequences of one’s own actions and decisions. | Irresponsibility | To make excuses to avoid assuming the consequences of what is said or done. |
| Courage | Facing fear or anxiety to take action and overcome obstacles. | Cowardice | Allowing further harm to ourselves or others to avoid facing fear or distress. |
| Honesty | Commit to the truth regardless of the consequences. | Dishonesty | To lie, manipulate, or falsify the truth when it is convenient. |
| Freedom | Act autonomously to decide one’s own directions and actions. | Submission | Always being subject to the will of another or others. |
| Justice | Give everyone what they deserve, in the way they deserve. | Injustice | Favoring oneself or others over those to whom it truly corresponds. |
| Prudence | Act in a way that avoids unnecessary risks or unnecessary harm to anyone. | Imprudence | Acting without paying attention to the risks involved or the possible harm to third parties. |
| Solidarity | Collaborate with a cause or help someone when they need it. | Individualism | Act independently of others and always prioritize personal benefit. |
| Generosity | Giving or sharing material goods or actions with others, without expecting anything in return. | Selfishness | Putting one’s own interests first, without attending to the needs of others. |
| Tolerance | Accept different ideas, opinions, and forms of expression, even if you don’t share them. | Intolerance | Believing that one’s own beliefs are the only possible and correct ones, and rejecting those that differ. |
| Gratitude | Recognize help that has been received and try to reciprocate. | Ingratitude | Forgetting or disregarding favors and benefits received. Failing to appreciate the gestures of others. |
| I respect | Pay attention to and accept the characteristics and rights of others. Follow established rules of coexistence. | Disrespect | Disregarding the needs or rights of others. Acting contrary to the rules. |
