Sacred Values: Impossible To Negotiate Or Exchange Them

We all consider certain ideas important. Some are so important that we end up giving them a value. These values ​​are of special importance, especially when they are shared by several people .  They are considered profane, but sometimes their essence cannot be quantified, negotiated, or traded. In these cases, they become sacred values.

These values ​​must be absolutely respected and protected in front of everything and everyone.  When a preference becomes a sacred value, it also becomes a moral imperative. A moral imperative becomes incomparable with respect to other values ​​and it is impossible to exchange it for tangible or intangible goods.

How sacred values ​​are formed

A preference for an object or idea can become a sacred value in many ways.  However, when it is for all members of a group, there are mainly two processes. Both processes start from the perception that there is a threat.

According to the first trial, disputes between different groups can undermine a preference. This threat causes the group to integrate their preference into a ritual, thus transforming it into a sacred value. This will cause the world to split into two: the sacred and the  profane. Sometimes, the sacred value unites us with the members of our group, separating us more from the people of other groups.

On the other hand, according to the second process, the greater the threat, the more  rituals that take place. These rituals, related to the sacred value, are repeated with increasing frequency and this will serve to forge relationships with the members of our group. In addition, they will serve to comply with the group’s norms.

What effects do sacred values ​​have?

Sacred values ​​will affect the decisions we make. Any decisions that endanger or criticize our sacred values ​​will be rejected. Even if this decision is unproductive. Sacred values ​​also incorporate moral beliefs, which involve rules of conduct on the basis of which it is established what is good and what is bad.

Therefore, we will defend our sacred values ​​in the face of everything by adopting psychological strategies. Some of these strategies are moral outrage and moral purification. Moral outrage refers to experiencing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aversion to values ​​contrary to or other than sacred ones. For its part, moral purification consists in carrying out symbolic acts that reaffirm the commitment to the sacred value.

The advantages of sacred values

Usually we tend to think that our conduct is rational and that, in making decisions, we take into account the balance between costs and benefits. Instead, many of the important decisions we make are guided by our ideas of what is right or wrong. Something similar happens with sacred values. Although on many occasions getting rid of it would be the most rational thing, we don’t.

They offer advantages from an evolutionary point of view. For example, we will never sell sacred value. Not everything is for sale. This resistance makes us more sympathetic to the people who share our value.

Likewise, sacred values ​​are timeless. They are always important, even when it comes to events that happened thousands of years ago, which is why we maintain a commitment with other people who regard that value as sacred throughout their lives.

Jerusalem as a sacred value

A current example of sacred value is found in Jerusalem. This ancient city, disputed by Palestinians and Israelis, has become a sacred value for both groups. In essence,  its  status has become a sacred value.  Therefore, offering money to hand over the city to the other group would be useless.

When President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, he threatened the city’s status. This was seen by the Palestinians as a threat to one  of their sacred values,  so the answer was rejection, sometimes manifested with violence.

The action of the American president only served to perpetrate the conflict. If conflict resolution is what you seek, threatening a sacred value is not the way to go. The realization of symbolic concessions, without material benefit but which recognize the values ​​of others, can open the way to the resolution of a conflict.