Wow. Thank you very much. We have listened to a few talks already, and I know it's late, but it was great so far. And I think one thing that all connected all the talks is something that has something to do with values, something that we sometimes tend to oversee. And we can find these carriers of meaning everywhere. In politics, they're on election posters. Companies write them on walls. They [inaudible] to conferences like this here, and we, as individuals, use them as guidance, when they're a big decision in our lives. Whereas goals, plans, and fears focus on the outcome. Values worry about the way we do things. They have a moral implication. They define how we want to continue to live.
So to put it in very simple terms, values are situation independent decision helpers. So no matter what context I'm in, I'm trying to stick to my own values, right? But when I started looking into the notion of values and the concept behind it, I was overwhelmed by the sheer mess of abstract theories, of modules, and all these things. So when you type in "personal values" into Google, you can find over 900 million search results. So I started looking into values, through things I experienced myself.
For me, the beauty of values is that they're much more than intellectual concepts. I started writing them down as personal story. And one is about this internet ticket and the value of friendship. When I was 19, I started traveling. I wanted to see the diversity of Europe. I was done with my civilian service, and a friend and I, we bought tickets and got on the train. We shared chocolate with Spanish nuns. We discussed life with a Brazilian pilgrim, and we had amazing conversations along the way. What I learned was that friends are the perfect mirror you need. Sometimes they're stressed, sometimes they're friendly, and sometimes they're even critical, but they help you to be and to become and stay the best possible self. And stories about respect and joy of life followed afterwards.
And if I would ask you to think about a personal story connected to a value, I'm sure everybody here in the room would think about a different one. Try, for example, respect. Not why it's important in society, but as a personal memory. Maybe one of you would share a story about a friend teaching you self-respect. Maybe one of you would share a story about a ganache that your sister gave you as a gift before moving to India. And maybe one of you would share a story about a marmalade late glass that your grandmother gave you as a gift. And these examples are real stories from real people. And I think the problem is that we face, that they're barely told. There's no space sharing these stories. So together, with friends, I decided I collect these stories, and I created the Museum of Values.
And we asked people to send us their stories connected to objects. The objects are witnesses and relics that remind us on what's important. Because some of our objects that we have, they're so deeply ingrained in our daily lives that we tend to oversee what memory are in there and what life lessons are connected to it. Like a cassette we used to listen to or shells we found at the beach we love, or old sneakers that we used to travel with. But some people know right away what their story is and what object they want to share, like this pearl earring, a young woman shared with us, describing the relationship to her father. That was one of the first objects we got. And it's about the loss of respect. And I would like to share that with you.
"My dad is my hero. No one I know about his loyalty, moral, honesty, more than he does. All my life, I've been trying to live up to his standards and make him proud. After my parents broke up, he still acted in the most mature and respectful way. He eventually married his teenage love. My father, my new stepmother, and I got along very well. Everything seemed to work out, just like a fairytale. Unfortunately, there is no fairytale in life. One day, I visited my parents' home, and I found a pearl earring on the bathroom floor. My stepmother does not wear pearls. Coincidence? Perhaps. I confronted my father, and the lack of respect and coward business towards his wife made my heroic image of him disappear."
At the Museum of Values, we try to create a real space with real stories, from real people like you and me. We want to make values accessible and tangible. We want to offer new perspectives, and not dogmatic definitions, a space where there's no right and wrong. Our hope is that we spark curiosity and create a space where people feel safe in, to open up, to explore their values, and reflect on them, and interact with others. The objects and the stories are just catalysts, a starting point to make you think. When you come into our exhibitions, we ask you to open your mind and let the stress of your daily lives behind.
The second step is offering new perspectives. It's exploring new perspectives. We invite you to read over 50 stories connected to different values and have a look at the objects. The third and last step is, after diving into all these unique and diverse experiences and stories, we encourage you to reflect on your own values and share them with others. When we started, no traditional gallery thought this would work in any way. Nobody would have the patience to read that many stories. Nobody would be interested in normal people's objects. Nobody would care enough or would care enough about each other's values and stories.
And after our first exhibition, we found out, in the most beautiful way, that we do care. People stay way longer than we expected. They shared their stories. Now, we have over 200 stories and objects connected to it. And most importantly, people open up in our exhibitions to reflect on their own values, like this little note somebody gave us. So for us, the Museum of Values became way more than a study exhibition. We started working with schools, with organizations, and with other initiatives. And for me personally, it helped me to grow as a person.
I started reflecting on my own values. It challenged myself and pushed me. So I would like to encourage you to think about values in a different way. Values are the social glue that hold us together with all our beautiful differences. If you let your friends, your family, and most importantly, your partner, know why a certain value is important to you, and share that through stories and not through abstract definitions, you get the chance to make connections on an entirely different level, and especially in times where there's mistrust and fear. Well, mistrust and fear are sometimes stronger than love, faith, and hope. We encourage you to share or to genuinely share your stories and sincerely listening to others, to tear down at least a few walls between us. So whenever you have a minute to pause your busy lives, I would love to encourage you to think about your own values and write them down in personal stories. Don't overthink. They might change over time, but it's the start. And most importantly, share them with people you love. Thank you very much.