Gradually I realized that here was the basis of the only real security and peace of mind that a human being can have. Nobody can be sure when disaster， disappointment， injustice or humiliation may come to him through no fault of his own. Nor can one be guaranteed against one' s own mistakes and failures. But the way we meet life is ours to choose and when integrity， fortitude， dignity and compassion are our choice， the things that can happen to us lose their power over us.
The acceptance of these two basic values led to a third. If what one is and how one meets life are of first importance， one is not impressed by another' s money， status or power， nor does one judge people by their race， color or social position. This opens up a whole new world of relationships， for when friendships are based on qualities of mind and character one can have friends among old and young， rich and poor， famous and unknown， educated and unlettered， and among people of all races and all nations.
Given these three basic values， a fourth became inevitable. It is one' s duty and obligation to help create a social order in which persons are more important than things， ideas more precious than gadgets3， and in which individuals are judged on the basis of personal worth. Moreover， for this judgment to be fair human beings must have an opportunity for the fullest development of which they are capable. One is thus led to work for a world of freedom and justice through those social agencies and institutions which make it possible for people everywhere to realize their highest potentialities.
Perhaps all this adds up to a belief in what has been called the human use of human beings. We are set off from the rest of the animal world by our capacity consciously to transcend4 our physical needs and desires. Men must concern themselves with food and with other physical needs， and they must protect themselves and their own from bodily harm， but these activities are not exclusively human. Many animals concern themselves with these things. When we worship， pray， or feel compassion， when we enjoy a painting， a sunset or a sonata， when we think and reason， pursue ideas， seek truth，or read a book， when we protect the weak and helpless， when we honor the noble and cherish the good， when we co-operate with our fellow men to build a better world， our behavior is worthy of our status as human beings.