Diny Davis (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer
“We all are born as empty vessels which can be shaped by moral values.” – Jerry Springer
The word moral invokes a standard of behavior that establishes what is acceptable and not acceptable. I don’t remember the exact time when I understood the difference between right and wrong. It didn’t come out of any lecture from someone. Rather, the understanding came from simple experiences at home.
I think about my childhood now in a very blessed and casual way. Some memories are very clear and others are faded. The one memory that I still remember is going to a grocery store with my dad, and after the billing, the shopkeeper gave some extra change to my dad in return. When my dad noticed it, he immediately addressed it and returned it to the shopkeeper. I admired my dad for his honesty and the moral values that he always upheld. There was no explanation given to me by him. It was understood that this was exactly what one should do.
A lot of my experiences have happened like this, at home, at the dinner table or on scooter rides. My parents never sat down to explain big life lessons. Their actions just filled the gaps with morals. The way they handled people, life situations, stress and even disagreed with each other taught me.
At school, it was just not about rules anymore; it was about people. Friendships, small conflicts—those experiences made me think beyond right or wrong. I understood that everyone sees things differently. Sometimes you understand that your perspective can be wrong for someone else. They might think their way of understanding things is the only right way.
I won’t say that my perspective was always right among any group of people. But there were times when I felt later that I should have taken a stand, or I could have just kept quiet. But this realization too became a part of my learning process.
What made the biggest difference to me was seeing how my parents handled difficult times. For me, they were perfect. There were stressful days with long hours, and when things didn’t go as planned, they still showed up. They kept going, kept caring and kept putting in effort where it mattered.
That consistency left an impression on me. It showed me that values aren’t just something you talk about when things are going well; they are something you hold onto when things are hard. Each day is unpredictable. Sometimes it will be as planned, but we always grow when unpredictability happens in our life journey. Now, when I face decisions, I don’t think about rules as much as I think about those moments—the grocery store, the dinner table. The small, quiet examples that didn’t seem important at that time shaped my morals today.
I have come to realize that having strong values doesn’t mean always getting it right. It just means trying, repeatedly, to do what feels right, even if it’s inconvenient. Honesty, for example, still isn’t easy. Staying real in all situations is difficult, especially when you are not someone who likes to carry a filter, especially in terms of giving your perspective. There are times when telling the truth would be simpler to avoid. But I have learned that avoiding it usually creates bigger problems later. So, I try to be honest, even if it’s awkward in the moment.
The same goes for empathy, cultivating the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. I don’t always fully understand what another person is going through, but I try to pause and consider their perspective before reacting. That alone has changed how I approach people now and the different situations that I face.
When I look back now, those childhood moments don’t feel small anymore. They were the foundation of my behavior. They shaped how I think, how I respond and even how I show up in this world. That’s the thing about growing up—you didn’t realize that all those experiences were shaping you when they were happening. As an adult, the decisions you make in your life now give you a better understanding of where those morals came from.
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Diny Davis is an aspiring author. She is a journalism, psychology and literature graduate. She strongly believes that true well-being comes from nurturing both physical and mental health. By maintaining balanced habits, staying active and cultivating a positive mindset, she views wellness as the foundation for a balanced, fulfilling and successful life.