Greek historian Plutarch (AD 46-120) tells us the story of a 'clever' fellow. The fellow believed that a dead body could stand erect if it was poised at a proper angle. The fellow then took a dead body and tried his best to make it stand. But all his efforts failed. Then, accepting defeat the clever fellow said, “Something has disappeared from the inside of this so that it cannot stand.”
We may laugh at the words of this fellow. But there is something in the story for us to reflect on. What is that something, which has disappeared from the inside of the dead man? What is that something inside of us, which helps us to stand erect and hold our heads high? I believe that it is our ethical, moral and religious values that make us stand erect amidst trials and difficulties. For, as Shakespeare says, “The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together.” Our values graced by love help us stand firm in spite of the mingled yarn of problems and conflicts in our daily living.
In this book, How to Make Life Worth Living, the author has a collection of 25 essays around the theme of values. As love is all-embracing and values are many, the essays deal with a variety of topics. But they are all anchored on love and values.
