The degrading moral values
Mohammad Imran Raina
It has been rightly said that the moral values inherited in a being today creates a better and stronger being for tomorrow.
Degradation of moral values among young generation is an emerging issue. Moral values are the worthy ideals or principles that one follows to distinguish the right from the wrong. These ideals or virtues are considered worthy in building up the character of an individual. Moral values are something that teaches us good virtues including honesty, truthfulness, kindness, integrity, helpfulness, compassion, respectfulness, love, respect for others, hard-work, co-operation, forgiveness etc.
The youngsters or adolescents are the future of tomorrow. Moreover, youth power is the driving force of a nation. But, now a day’s youth is adversely diverted through different immoral activities. Therefore, everyone is duty bound to find out the solution of this crucial problem to establish peace and harmony that very much depends on the young generation.
Drug addiction, alcoholism, flesh trade, corruption, dowry and a lot many such evils are growing in our society with an alarming speed. If we enquire about the root cause of all these evils, it is observed that the lack of moral education is the main factor. One of the basic reasons for declining moral values in our society is the cultural invasion by westernization.
It is believed that the youth is the pillar that strengthens the base of a nation. But in these rapidly happening global changes the moral values amongst the youth is seem to be vanishing drastically. The moral values are no more to be found among most of the youngsters of today’s age. They get attracted towards having sex, smoking, consuming alcohol and many other bad deeds at a very young age of their youth stage. But is it so from the very beginning? Are they born with such habits? No! It’s all a result of the events happening around them in their society.
Whatever they see in the society they try to imitate the same. But the age of youth is such an age where youngsters don’t really possess the ability to distinguish between what is beneficial for them and what is harmful. It is an age where we are attracted towards doing many new things, without knowing the results of those actions in our future.
The action of the society has contributed greatly towards deteriorating the values amongst the youth. The music that they prefer, the friends that they chose to be with, the language, the thoughts each and everything plays a big part towards creating a deteriorated youth or an improved youth!
As we are weakened by our ethics of living, breach of trust, improper family structure, fake relationship, corrupted society, etc., have been emerged as the ideology of living. These moral failing has become unbelievably common in our day to day life and it deteriorates the values among the youth.
Moral values are good values such as compassion, generosity, honesty, kindness, integrity, politeness, perseverance, self control and respect. Individuals who possess these qualities are considered to be an asset to the society. They do not only lead a disciplined life but also help in bringing out the best in those around them. Their dedication towards work, sense of self control and helping nature is appreciated by everyone.
Every parent wants his child to bear a good moral character. Many families are strict when it comes to imbibing moral values. They stress upon its importance and try to help their children inculcate the same from an early age. However, the moral values in the society are degrading with time.
Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of all times very wisely said: ‘Try not to become a man of success but a man of values.’ Ethics and values are the hallmark of character. Character cannot be conceived of without them. The way there can be no light without the sun, similarly, there can be no character without ethics and values.
However, in the modern times, high morals, values, and ethics seem to have been eroded pathetically. The canker that has undermined the strength of human values is materialism. The morals have gone so down that prime purpose of man’s existence is pecuniary pursuits. Man has stooped so low that he sacrifices even the most sacred relations for the sake of material gains. Gone are the days of brotherly, sisterly, fatherly, or motherly love. Man can break all ties of love and respect for the sake of money and property! All ethics, etiquette, decency, and decorum have gone to dogs. Life has become merely trade, commerce and profit earning. So wherever man finds some financial gain or advantage, he honors those relations. The rest is least said the better!
The issue of moral values lacking in the younger generation is quite disturbing. The youngsters want to overcome their obstacles using shortcuts. They are not willing to pay the price for their success. They don’t behave courteously with their elders. They use abusive language more often; they don’t practice self-discipline, honesty, self-restraint. They just want pleasures. This is not healthy for them. If we have to develop men and women of character, we must instill in them values.
Moral education is the need of all times. And not only government but every individual at his own level has a role to play. Especially teachers have an important role to inculcate moral values among the students at school, college and university level. We are all accountable for our future generation.
So, if we are planning to be men and women of character, we must make our value system very strong and ethics impregnable. We must learn the art of overcoming meanness, selfishness, greediness and other carnal temptations. Our nation and world need some real men and women of character to put the world in order.
(The author is a teacher by profession and hails from Kangan Ganderbal)
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