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Human Values and Life Skills: A Holistic Approach

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 International Journal of Human Resource and Labor Laws
Volume 3 Issue 2

Human Values and Life Skills: A Holistic Approach

Dr. Bipin Bihari Dash

Assistant Professor
Department of English
Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR), Formerly CET Bhubaneswar
Corresponding Author’s E-mail: bbdasheng@gmail.com

Abstract
Basic human values refer to those values which are at the core of being human.
They are considered as basic inherent values in humans. They include truth,
honesty, loyalty, love, peace, etc. because they bring out the fundamental
goodness of human beings and society at large. Human values are the virtues
that guide us to take into account the human element when we interact with
other human beings. They are, for example, respect, acceptance, consideration,
appreciation, listening, openness, affection, empathy and love towards other
human beings. Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that
enable humans to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life.
This concept is also termed as psycho-social competency. The subject varies
greatly depending on social norms and community expectations but skills that
function for well-being and aid individuals to develop into active and
productive members of their communities are considered as life skills. Any
skill that is useful in your life can be considered a life skill. . It has been felt
that life skills manage the gap between basic functioning and capabilities. It
strengthens the ability of an individual to meet the needs and demands of the
present society and helps in dealing with the current issues in a manner to get
desired behaviour practical. A holistic approach means to provide support
that looks at the whole person, not just their mental health needs. The support
should also consider their physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing.
The present paper focuses on the importance of human values and life skills
that imparts a holistic approach to our civilised society.

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 International Journal of Human Resource and Labor Laws
Volume 3 Issue 2

Keywords: Holistic, Life Skill, Universal Value, Ethics

“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviour. Keep
your behaviour positive because your behaviour becomes your habits. Keep
your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your
values positive because your values become your destiny.”
Mahatma Gandhi

INTRODUCTION human beings in the vast majority of

Universal value places and situations, at almost all times,
A value is a universal value if it has the do in fact hold in common, whether
same value or worth for all, or almost all, consciously and explicitly or as expressed
people. Spheres of human value in their behaviour..." Second, something
encompass morality, aesthetic preference, could have universal value when all people
human traits, human endeavour, and social have reason to believe it has value.
order. Whether universal values exist is an Amartya Sen interprets the term in this
unproven conjecture of moral philosophy way, pointing out that when Mahatma
and cultural anthropology, though it is Gandhi argued that non-violence is a
clear that certain values are found across a universal value, he was arguing that all
great diversity of human cultures, such as people have reason to value non-violence,
primary attributes of physical not that all people currently value non-
attractiveness whereas other attributes are violence. Many different things have been
subject to aesthetic relativism as governed claimed to be of universal value, for
by cultural norms. example, fertility, pleasure, and democracy.
The issue of whether anything is of
The claim for universal values can be universal value, and, if so, what that thing
understood in two different ways. First, it or those things are, is relevant to
could be that something has a universal psychology, political science, and
value when everybody finds it valuable. philosophy, among other fields.
This was Isaiah Berlin's understanding of
the term. According to Berlin, "...universal Schwartz's ten types of universal value are:
values....are values that a great many power, achievement, hedonism,

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 International Journal of Human Resource and Labor Laws
Volume 3 Issue 2

stimulation, self-direction, universalism, Importance of Human Values: Human

benevolence, tradition, conformity, and values are the indispensable part of our
security. Below is each of the value types, socio-cultural and work-related avenues.
with the specific related values alongside: They play a vital role for regulating our
 Power: authority; leadership; lives.
dominance, social power, wealth  Provide understanding of the attitudes,
 Achievement: success; capability; motivations and behaviours
ambition; influence; intelligence; self-  Influence our perceptions of the world
respect around us
 Hedonism: pleasure; enjoying life  Represent interpretation of “right and
 Stimulation: daring activities; varied wrong”
life; exciting life  Provide a way to understand humans
 Self-direction: creativity; freedom; and organisations.
independence; curiosity; choosing your
own goals BASIC HUMAN VALUES
 Universalism: broadmindedness; The five human values which are expected
wisdom; social justice; equality; a in all human beings, irrespective of
world at peace; a world of beauty; whether they are employees or not in
unity with nature; protecting the whichever profession or service, are:
environment; inner harmony  Right Conduct – Contains values like
 Benevolence: helpfulness; honesty; self-help skills (modesty, self-reliance,
forgiveness; loyalty; responsibility; hygiene etc.), social skills (good
friendship behaviour, good manners, environment
 Tradition: accepting one's portion in awareness etc.), ethical skills (courage,
life; humility; devoutness; respect for efficiency, initiative, punctuality etc.)
tradition; moderation and Ownership.

 Conformity: self-discipline; obedience  Peace – Contains values like equality,

 Security: cleanliness; family security; focus, humility, optimism, patience,

national security; stability of social self-confidence, self-control, self-

order; reciprocation of favours; health; esteem etc.

sense of belonging

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 International Journal of Human Resource and Labor Laws
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 Truth – Contains values like accuracy,  understand the oneness of all creation
fairness, honesty, justice, quest for and the truth behind all faiths
knowledge, determination etc.
 Peaceful co-existence – Contains Peace
values like psychological (benevolence,  develop self respect, concentration,
compassion, consideration, morality, inner contentment and calmness
forgiveness etc.) and social  co-operate with and value the
(brotherhood, equality, perseverance, contributions of others, including their
respect for others, environmental constructive feedback concerning our
awareness etc.) behaviours
 Discipline – Contains values like  develop forgiveness, patience,
regulation, direction, order etc. forbearance and self-control

The father of our nation, M. K. Gandhi, Right Conduct

remarks that “The greatness of humanity is  Practice acceptance of good and
not in being human, but in being humane.” rejection of the bad according to the
This line exposes the true spirit of service law and one’s own conscience.
of each individual for others. It is narrated  develop respect for human beings and
in the following manners: to accept responsibility for one’s own
Love actions
 love everybody unconditionally  develop self-reliance, exercise
 develop compassion, kindness, initiative and to do one’s best at
generosity and greatness of spirit everything
 care for our environment
Non-violence
Truth  avoid mistreating others in thought,
 speak and act truthfully and word and deed
confidently with a clean and clear  develop reverence and concern for all
conscience living beings, all of nature and to
 develop wisdom, the power of reason, involve in acts of selfless service
intuition and a sense of inquiry.  practice forbearance, endurance and
tolerance towards other

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 International Journal of Human Resource and Labor Laws
Volume 3 Issue 2

Life skills allow you to deal with and skills, transversal skills and citizenship
manage with everyday challenges in the skills are integral components of TVET.
work and social places. These skills help According to UNICEF, Life Skills are a
you excel at your workplace and manage behaviour change or behaviour
your professional relationships. The World development approach designed to address
Health Organization (WHO) in 1999 balance of three areas:
identified the following core cross-cultural  Knowledge
areas of life skills:  Attitude
 decision-making and problem-solving;  Skills.
 creative thinking, lateral thinking and
critical thinking; The world bodies such as UNESCO, and
 communication and interpersonal skills; WHO list the ten core Life Skills as:
 self-awareness and empathy; 1. Self-awareness
 assertiveness and equanimity; and 2. Critical thinking
 Resilience and coping with emotions 3. Creative thinking
and coping with stress. 4. Decision making
5. Problem Solving
Skills for work and life, known as 6. Effective communication
technical and vocational education and 7. Interpersonal relationship
training (TVET) comprises of education, 8. Empathy
training and skills development relating to 9. Coping with stress
a wide range of occupational fields, 10. Coping with emotion
production, services and livelihoods.
TVET, as part of lifelong learning, can Life skill has been classified into three
take place at secondary, post-secondary broad categories:
and tertiary levels, and includes work-  Thinking skills: Thinking skills are
based learning and continuing training and the skill that enhances the logical
professional development which may lead faculty of the brain using an analytical
to qualifications. TVET also includes a ability, thinking creatively and
wide range of skills development critically, and developing problem-
opportunities attuned to national and local solving skills and improving decision-
contexts. Learning to learn and the making abilities.
development of literacy and numeracy

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 International Journal of Human Resource and Labor Laws
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 Social skills: Social skills include study three types of ethics or morality. 1.
interpersonal skills, communication Common Morality – It is the set of moral
skills, leadership skills, management beliefs shared by almost everyone. 2.
skills, advocacy skills, co-operation Personal Morality - It is the set of moral
and team building skills, etc. beliefs that a person holds. 3. Professional
 Emotional skills: Emotional skills, Morality - It is the set of standards adopted
involves, knowing and being by professionals in so far as they view
comfortable with oneself. Thus, self – themselves acting as professionals.
management, includes
managing/coping with feelings, To contribute our human values and life
emotions, stress and resisting peer and skills effectively, we need to be conscious
family pressure. aware of our soft and hard skills. For a
holistic approach of our work we should
A holistic approach focuses on a person's be proficient of these skills. Soft skills are
wellness and the growth and development the personal attributes that you need to
of moral and ethical values. succeed in the workplace. These are
1. To understand the moral values. related to how you work with others – in
2. To create an awareness. other words, these are people skills. Soft
3. To inspire moral and social values and skills are different from hard skills, which
loyalty. are directly relevant to the job you are
4. To appreciate the rights of others. applying for. These are often more
5. Resolve the moral issues in the quantifiable, and easier to learn.
profession,
6. To justify the moral judgment
concerning the profession. The technical skills that are acquired
7. intended to develop a set of beliefs and through professional education, training
attitudes, and on-the-job experience, are referred to
as hard skills. Technocrats may be
To maintain human values and life skills technically competent, but unless they are
systematically you have to follow three able to interact effectively with people
types of ethics or morality as per the inside as well as outside their
information of Harris, Charles E. etal. organisations, their technical skills may
According to them, it is significant to remain unutilised. So, a second set of skills

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 International Journal of Human Resource and Labor Laws
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is required for professionals that are WORK ETHICS

referred to as soft skills or peoples skills. Employers want job candidates with a
strong work ethic. People having strong
The term ‘soft skills’ refers to a cluster of work ethic complete tasks on time, stay
personality traits, social graces, facility focused and stays organized. They are able
with language, personal habits and to budget their time and complete their
attitudes of friendliness, optimism etc and work thoroughly. While they can work
includes competencies in the areas of independently, people with a strong work
leadership, ability to work in a team, ethic can also follow instructions. A strong
articulateness, assertiveness, basic work ethic is difficult to teach, so
etiquette etc. These skills determine a employers will be impressed if you can
person’s ability to suit into a given social demonstrate your strong work ethic in
structure, for example, Business your job application.
Corporation.  Attentive
 Business ethics
Soft skills are character traits and  Competitive
interpersonal skills that characterize a  Dedicated
person's relationships with other people. In  Follow direction
the workplace, soft skills are considered a  Highly organized
complement to hard skills, which refer to a  Independent
person's knowledge and occupational skills.
 Make deadlines
Sociologists may use the term soft skills to
 Motivated
describe a person's "EIQ" or “Emotional
 Multitasking
Intelligence Quotient," as opposed to "IQ"
 Organization
or "Intelligence Quotient."
 Perseverant
 Persistent
The Collins English Dictionary defines the
 Planning
term "soft skills" as “desirable qualities for
 Proper business etiquette
certain forms of employment that do not
 Punctual
depend on acquired knowledge: they
 Reliable
include common sense, the ability to deal
with people, and a positive flexible  Resilient

attitude.”  Results oriented

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 International Journal of Human Resource and Labor Laws
Volume 3 Issue 2

 Scheduling 7. Professionalism – businesslike, well-

 Self-directed dressed, appearance, poised.
 Self-monitoring 8. Responsibility – accountable, reliable,

 Self-supervising gets the job done, resourceful, self-

 Stay on task disciplined wants to do well,

 Strategic planning conscientious, common sense.

 Time management 9. Teamwork – cooperative gets along

with others, agreeable, supportive,
 Trainable
helpful, and collaborative.
 Work well under pressure
10. Work ethic – hard working, willing to
work, loyal, initiative, self-motivated,
According to B. B. Dash, (Professional
on time, good attendance.
English, pg. 198-199), the Top ten soft
skill attributes for business executives
The major soft skills/Peoples
include:
Skills/Professional Skills are:
1. Communication – oral, speaking
1. Interviews
capability, written, presenting,
2. Group Discussions
listening.
3. Oral Presentations
2. Courtesy – manners, etiquette,
4. Personality Development
business etiquette, gracious, says
5. Leadership skills
please and thank you, respectful.
6. Teamsmanship
3. Flexibility – adaptability, willing to
7. Time Management
change, lifelong learner, accepts new
8. Assertiveness
things, adjusts, teachable.
9. Emotional Intelligence
4. Integrity – honest, ethical, high morals,
10. Lateral Thinking
has personal values, does what’s right.
5. Interpersonal skills – nice, personable,
CONCLUSION
sense of humour, friendly, nurturing,
To conclude, it is pertinent to note that a
empathetic, has self-control, patient,
relevant and proper implementation of life
sociability, warmth, social skills.
skill is a need of the hour. Imparting life
6. Positive attitude – optimistic,
skills and human values are helpful as they
enthusiastic, encouraging, happy,
specifically address the needs of ours,
confident.
supports in motivating, providing for the

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 International Journal of Human Resource and Labor Laws
Volume 3 Issue 2

practical, cognitive, emotional, social and

self-management skills for the life
adjustments. However, they stand for
holistic approach to a positive, social, and
mental health of the people which plays an
important role in all aspects such as
strengthening work culture, developing
self-confidence in social life. The present
approach is a principle that promotes well-
being. The significant people who are
responsible for inculcating and evolving
human values and life skills for a holistic
approach are the parents, religious leaders
& gurus in daily life and teachers at the
institute’s level. They assure a happy and
harmonious human civilisation and society.
In nutshell, the above discussion brings out
an overall philosophy of our lives.

REFERENCES
1. Dash, Bipin Bihari. Professional
English. JTS Publications: New
Delhi. 2020.
2. Harris, Charles etal. Engineering
Ethics.3rd edition. Cengage
Learning: New Delhi. 2016.
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_
skills
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unive
rsal_value

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