Jason Merchey's "Values of the Wise"

In his personal quest to understand wisdom, Jason Merchey has focused on the presence of certain "values of the wise" in the lives of wise people. He has identified 38 of these values, and has grouped them in 14 "value sets." He has also sought out illuminating quotations and "wise sayings" that bear on actually living these values. He has chosen two ways to share those quotations with us. The first is an online database of more than 18,000 quotations — searchable by value set, author, gender, and/or ethnicity. The second is his book BUILDING a LIFE of VALUE: Timeless Wisdom to Inspire and Empower Us. In this first volume in the Values of the Wise Series, each chapter is devoted to a value set, and carefully-chosen quotations fill those 14 chapters. I'd choose the database for research and the book for more reflective reading. Howard Zinn called the book "a treasury of ideas, thoughts, and feelings that represent the best of humane ideals." David Callahan called it "Bartlett's Quotations with a conscience" and "a goldmine of insight and inspiration." There is now a second volume in the Values of the Wise Series: Living a Life of Value: A Unique Anthology of Essays on Values & Ethics by Contemporary Writers. This book was edited by Jason, and its contributors include many well-know writers.

At one point Jason Merchey had an interview program — Values and Ethics: From Living Room to Board Room — on Internet Radio. Four of those shows involved interviews with Wisdom Page contributors, and those archives are available here. The 32 kbps streaming audio works well with either a hi-speed or good 56K dialup connection, and the MP3 files can be downloaded.