One of the main purposes of The Shinsei Method™ is to provide a compass, a way point, or a reference for self-analysis and self-development. Value is the primary goal of that self-analysis and self-development from the perspective of The Shinsei Method™: Value in decision making, value in thinking, value in action, value in life. Of course, value in these areas connotes the value and principle of independence, which is crucial for a sense of individuality and well-being. To have independence is to have a clear personal conviction in particular ideas and in the ability to evaluate reality logically, objectively, and with a sense of balance. Independence is a fundamental concept of the American Constitutional Republic. The Declaration of Independence is one of the founding documents of the United States of America, and it much more than a document to declare independence from Great Britain. It highlights what the value of independence means as a concept and as a way of thinking. It is unfortunate that many schools do not emphasize this document. It encourages an independent and rational mind as well as the integral importance of freedom in human affairs.
To strive toward value is to strive toward knowledge and understanding in day-to-day living. Therefore, the practice and talent of problem solving are also crucial to achieve value. Value in this case is to possess practical value. Experience provides a certain level of practical value or practical know-how, but only if problem solving is also practiced as a general strategy. Many people become senior in years, but do not possess the same level of practical experience. For them, problem solving is not terribly important. It is not uncommon to find these types of people repeating the same unsuccessful patterns of behavior even while they will freely admit not to like the results. To some extent this is understandable. I was in that category of people. Not because problem solving was unimportant to me. Problem solving has always been critical tome; Practicality has always been important to me. However, I was unaware of the patterns of thinking I had been following all of my life so that I was also unaware of the hidden values I possessed, many of which were contrary to my basic beliefs. This lack of self-insight or self-understanding led to unsatisfactory results in my life, but because I took my patterns of thinking–and consequently my hidden values–as a given (i.e. my personality), I did not know what the problem was or how to address it. I quickly jumped to the illogical conclusion that I was unworthy and could not make it in the world. I reasoned that it was a world out of step with my values, although I believed those values to be fundamental to life and humanity, values like clarity, consistency, integrity, forbearance, duty, obligation, friendship, compassion, even humanity. I found that many people sling these terms around like hash, never thinking too deeply about what they mean in practical terms, which bodes poorly for anyone who does take these terms seriously and tries to live up to their spirit and meaning. I was one of those people. I did not give up on trying to follow value as a north star in what I thought and how I acted, but I most certainly had to rethink what I expected from the world, and what I expected from myself.
I learned–often with great inner difficulty–that striving toward value in family, business, and life is valid and valuable to do because it produces the most desirable results in the long run. For example, practicing consistency between word and deed leads to a greater level of trustworthiness. Trustworthiness is valuable for contractual arrangements, for brand loyalty, for risk minimization, for lower transaction costs, etc. However, it is also important to set expectations regarding other people since many other people do not take the value of consistency too seriously. If they break a promise, if they say one thing and do another, if they mislead others outright, these are all taken to be par for the course. However, they are not par for the course. There is no way to trust something that is inconsistent. Therefore, the goal is to strive toward consistency not to accept inconsistency as a lower but acceptable standard. This is The Shinsei Way™.
This last point underscores why I developed The Shinsei Method™. For, to strive toward value in the world as it is, often means to take the road less traveled. This is more than just a platitude. It could mean that you have to make a decision about keeping a job or doing some mandated medical procedure; it could mean forfeiting a set of friends; it could mean significant marital discord. I have also found that there is an inordinate amount of social pressure on each individual not to strive toward value especially the value of independence, but to go-along-to-get-along, to take the well-trodden road, to chose the path of least resistance, but not in the scientific way. In the timorous way, which is the opposite of independence. This is also why inner-strength, inner-balance, and self-trust are so important for finding value in what you do. Striving toward value often means going against the dominant cultural trend. Without self-trust, it is very difficult if not impossible to strive toward constructive value in the world that often does not seem to value it.