Hierarchy of Values: When Silence Becomes a Choice
Lida Moniava, Founder of "House with a Lighthouse" Foundation
I’ve been thinking about the hierarchy of values lately :)
These days in Russia, I often hear people say they had to stay silent or do something they didn’t want to. They felt forced — because they were trying to protect something they deeply care about. In one conversation, someone said they had to do something cruel to preserve a theater production. In another, a person said they take part in something awful so they can keep helping others. In a third, someone said they keep silent to hold onto their business. It sounds noble — sacrificing your principles for the greater good.
For three years I wrestled with why this didn’t sit right with me. And I finally followed the thought to its end. Let me share.
I think it’s about our hierarchy of values — what we place at the top. If the most important thing is a nonprofit, a theater, a hospital, a community, or a position in a government agency, then we’ll compromise everything else to preserve that. But if the top value is God, truth, or integrity, then we protect those above all. We’ll do anything not to betray them. Not to lose our connection to God. Not to go against our truth.
I believe God and truth are foundational. They’re the source of everything else — and without them, everything falls apart. They’re also the only things truly in our power. Everything else isn’t up to us.
Sure, we’d love to preserve our work, our resources, our positions. But we’ve seen many times — people give everything, and still, the barbarians come and tear it all down. It seems holding on to any project isn’t really up to us. I believe that if something is needed by God, it will survive in some form. And if not — then perhaps it’s okay if it doesn’t.
I’ve seen people lose their work recently, and it was bitter. But then they created something even more powerful. If they’d clung to the old, they might’ve lost themselves, tangled up in compromises. And we wouldn’t have the beautiful new things they made. We can’t see what’s ahead or what will truly be better for us.
So I think it’s important to figure out what stands first in your own system of values — and then build everything else around that. For those who’ve stayed in Russia, now is a fertile time for this kind of soul work. You won’t be allowed to stay undecided for long :)