Page 198 - Microsoft Word - The Future of Learning April 2017.docx

186
Principle Formation
Identity is a complex notion and its foundation lies within the formation of our principles and character.
Principles are the idealistic, net effect of applying culturally appropriate attitudes, qualities and values to our knowledge, understanding and actions.
• Attitudes: a predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain idea, object, person or situation.213
• Qualities: a personal characteristic that is exercised, becomes a consistent trait and is recognised and appreciated by others.214
• Values: our core aspirational beliefs. Values are multifaceted and contribute to an overall consistent personal philosophy that underpins our purpose.215
There are three keywords we can choose to use in life that express our principles; these are please, sorry and thank-you. These three keywords underpin and reflect the development of our identity. Each of these words should be used often as they represent three essential qualities of a fulfilled life: humility, forgiveness and grace. To use the word ‘please’ invokes a degree of humility; that we need the help of someone else. Saying ‘sorry’ asks someone to bestow forgiveness on us for what we have done. Using the word ‘thank-you’ demonstrates a disposition of grace (being grateful), as usually whoever it is we are saying ‘thank-you’ to, has already completed the deed we required their help to complete. The application of these words underpins the disposition of thankfulness.
Principles are the result of the interplay between attitudes, qualities and values. Schools are constantly looking at how they can better encourage a set of principles, positive attitudes, qualities and values, and many programmes attempt to frame up how to teach these desired traits.
At the core of building our principles is the degree to which an individual sees him or herself as having a distinct and unique purpose. Just as the adage “without a vision the people perish,” may apply to our physical state, so too the saying “without a sense of purpose, potential will never be realised,” applies to our sociological or belief state.
Resource 76: Principle formation
Unpacking and understanding our belief state creates a personal foundation that will never be perfect and we will all act in ways that are contradictory to our stated beliefs. As such our beliefs, will always remain aspirational. It is the nature of being human that we are a mixture of being both sensible, logical and rational and then there is our passionate and non-rational nature. We would not be without either and our decisions we make, reflect the tension in these dispositions.
213Business Dictionary. A derivation of this definition. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/attitude.html 214 An adaptation of a range of definitions from sociology resources and dictionaries
215 An adaptation of a range of definitions from sociology resources and dictionaries