Emotions or Values: What Drives Us?

With the beginning of another four-year term for President Obama, there should be little doubt as to the direction he wants to see our country go. The major question as I look at what is taking place in our state and nation is; “Are we driven by our emotions or values?”

That question can be seen in several different parts. Each person makes decisions based on a certain set of beliefs and values. We can be driven by emotions in making decisions. Emotions rise to the surface quickly when we see the results of the attacks on innocent children in a school room. Our first reaction is to ask why something was not done to stop the attack quicker. The second reaction is to develop a plan by which something like that can never happen again. Both of these responses are emotion driven. The hard question relates to the set of values in our culture causing someone to think they can murder a large number of children to make some point not understood by any of us. Emotion driven solutions can be triggered fast in almost all types of settings. Determining how to change the values of a culture takes much longer to put into place.

The early days of the first four years as president, we saw and heard President Obama put in place an emotional program of apology and appeasement to other nations. He often took great efforts to let other nations know he believed our nation had been wrong and that an apology was due to the offended people or nations. In the early days of this current administration, we are seeing the results of those efforts to appease and apologize. Terrorists are continuing with their efforts to take control of other countries and to embarrass our nation as often as they can. Extending a hand of peace to those who are determined to wipe our nation off of the map has not worked. The surface idea of just being nice does not work when one is dealing with a set of beliefs that are as deeply rooted in the minds of those who hate America.

America is a blessed nation. We have risen to the top as a super power by the individual efforts of people willing to die for their belief system. They have not led with their emotions but have allowed their value system to drive their actions in developing this country into being one of the greatest ever. Rather than trying to appease or understand all the various reasons others do not like us, we have worked hard to better our country and to protect our people wherever they are in the world. As the terrorists and their plans continue to march across the globe, we can determine that their set of values do not match those of this country. From where I stand, we need a strong defense against any attack based on our values of freedom and liberty.

What should drive our decisions, passion, emotions or personal values? Tell us what you think in comments. 

Follow Ray Newman on Twitter — @RayNewmanSr.