Our Values (v1.0)

As one experiences life, everyone changes to some degree. You know more, you get wiser, you use new tools and techniques, you have more experience, and you acquire new skills. Does it affect your attitudes, behavior and personality? I believe so. But I think your core values do not change because I think they get incorporated into you as a bedrock early in life. 

Although my wife and I have very different backgrounds and personality, surprisingly we have, or evolved to have, some very similar values. Let me try to list the common four most important ones (there are others that we have). 

1. There is no free lunch. You have to work hard and smart and make the right choices. You are primarily responsible for your own wellbeing. 

2. You are responsible for your own actions and the consequences are yours. 

3. Be compassionate and generous to the less fortunate/in need to the extent you can (earlier in life - much less so now since we are retired). 

4. Integrity (admission: I do say white lies to avoid getting into trouble at home!!)

These common four values have mostly guided our shared decision making most of our lives. Hope this helps. 

This blog is NOT documenting the BEST values to have according to some religious tome or some other source, or described at the same granularity as those, but they are the common key ones me and my wife shared (in my own words) that helped us make practical decisions in life.