Value Judgements

According to the 8^th edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, value judgement is a judgement about how good or important something is based on personal opinions rather than facts. In other words, it is the opposite of factual judgement. Factual judgement would use, as the name implies, facts.  Value judgement, on the other hand, uses moral and utility values. Some examples of moral values are truthfulness, compassion, respect, patience, etc. Utility values are the values that you cannot live without, like food, money, stability, safety, etc.

Here are some examples of value judgements:

1. “Mathematics is the hardest subject in school.”

This is a value judgement because it is not based on facts, but more on a person’s opinion. Nobody has proven that mathematics really is the toughest subject in school. In fact, some students might think that mathematics is an easy subject.

2. “Death penalty should not be practiced.”

This statement is subjective, meaning it pertains to the characteristic of the individual. In this case, the person’s characteristic is forgiving and merciful, thus resulting in him to make this assessment. Here he uses not facts, but his moral values to make this judgement, making it a value judgement.

3. “Sky-diving is not scary.”

Like my previous example, this judgement is a value judgement because it is subjective. The person making this judgement could be courageous in characteristic. But those people who are less courageous would not say the same thing. This statement is also not based on fact, which means it cannot be a factual judgement.

4. “Every house should have an alarm system.”

In this example of a value judgement, instead of using just moral values like maybe thoughtfulness or care, it also uses the utility values like safety. This statement is also an opinion. It is subjective. Some people might disagree with this statement and think that a house does not need an alarm system.

5. “The Script is the best band ever.”

This example is similar to my fourth example. This statement is a value judgement because it is an opinion. Fans of The Script would definitely agree to this statement but those who are not fans of the band will not. This judgement is also made using the individual’s moral values like dedication or enthusiasm towards the band. Nobody has ever proven that The Script is the best band ever, so this statement is definitely not factual, but it is a value judgement. 

What Do You Do When Conflict Arise?

Conflict is an inevitable part of our lives. Every individual in this world will face conflict at some point in their lives. But what is it that causes conflict and what do you do when conflict arise?

According to dictionary.com, conflict is "to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; clash”. Just from this explanation, you can clearly tell that conflict is caused by thinking differently from others and opposing other people’s perspectives on things.

Let’s say there is a conflict between A and B. A thinks he’s right, so therefore he says B is wrong. But B thinks he is right, so he says A is the wrong one. Both parties are adamant about their thinking and are too stubborn to change the way they think. They both don’t want to try and look at things from the other side’s perspective. When this happens, how will we know who is right or wrong? What do we do when such conflict like this arises?

Roger Darlington wrote in his website (rogerdarlington.co.uk) some of the ways to resolve conflicts. I will just state those that I think seems to be the best and most effective way to solve conflict. The first one is, of course, showing respect. I think a conflict will be solved much quicker if you make sure your arguments are in topic. Attack the argument, not the person. Like Nelson Mandela said, “I defeated my opponents without dishonoring them.” Disrespecting the other party will just complicate things further, resulting in a longer time to solve the conflict.

Next would be asking a third party to step in and help solve the conflict. I think it’s nice to have fresh ideas from people outside the conflict. These fresh ideas may be a splash of cold water to the parties involved in the conflict and may help them to think in a different way, helping to solve the conflict faster.

If a third party isn’t available, try proving your statement. Prove to the other party that what you said is correct. Be honest. If, after your research, your statement happens to be wrong, just sincerely apologize.

Conflict isn’t always a negative thing. Sometimes it can open windows that will make you view the world differently. Conflict only becomes negative when the people involved cannot fix or handle it.  Therefore it is very important that we know what to do when a conflict arises. 

Racial Tension: Native Indonesians vs. Chinese Indonesians

The racial tension between the native Indonesians and the Chinese has been quite a great conflict for years. The Chinese people, who are a minority in Indonesia, happen to be the biggest contributor to the Indonesian economy.  In general, they tend to be better businessmen than the natives. Looking at this, I immediately thought that jealousy was the main reason of this racial conflict. Being an Indonesian Chinese myself, it’s only natural that I think the rest of the Indo-Chinese people aren’t at fault. But as I continue my research, my perspective gradually changed.

The wealth and the success of the Chinese people isn’t the issue here. It’s the attitude both parties have towards each other. The Chinese people think that the native Indonesians are poorly educated people with narrow minds who are jealous of their success in business.  The native Indonesians think that the Chinese are exclusive and arrogant people who do not want to mingle with anyone other than other Chinese people. Some natives also believe that the Chinese in Indonesia are still loyal to China and only sees Indonesia as a place to work.

Being born and raised in Indonesia I have observed that some of the things that the native Indonesians think about the Chinese is actually true. Some Chinese people really are arrogant.  They drive expensive cars, buy big houses and wear branded clothing. They don’t want to mingle with the natives because they think the natives are of “lower-class” being the maids and the drivers. But I also think that the Chinese act this way because they want to prove to the natives that they are not to be underestimated. Maybe the Chinese people feel tired of being the outcast in Indonesia or the victims (in the case of the 1998 riots, for example). If both parties just give each other a chance, I’m sure this conflict will be history sooner than we thought.

After studying and researching on this conflict quite thoroughly, my perspective has changed. Now I know the causes of the conflict. I no longer want to live under the stereotype that, as a Chinese, I am arrogant and exclusive. I no longer want to assume that all native Indonesians are poorly educated and narrow-minded. For all I know, Chinese people can be poorly educated and narrow-minded just as native Indonesians can be exclusive and arrogant. Every individual is different. It isn’t fair to judge them by their race. At the end of the day, we are all Indonesian citizens, and that’s all that matters.