The most interesting curative possibility for collapse of values is the discovery of new values, or the re-discovery of neglected old ones. This is what happened to Tolstoy, when he later came to believe that life itself is its own value, a belief which he also thought characterized peasant life. Values Treatment for collapse of values will be discussed in detail in Chapter 18. We should here note, however, that though values are interwoven from childhood into the very foundations of a person's character and personality, they are nevertheless subject to change as an adult. That is, values can be accepted and rejected as a matter of personal choice, though one cannot do so lightly and casually.
Values are more fundamental than ordinary goals.
We can think of values as goals that are based on the individual's deepest beliefs about human life and society, assessments of what is good and what is evil. The collapse of a person's values can lead to depression. The most interesting curative possibility for collapse of values is the discovery of new values, or the re-discovery of neglected old ones. These possibilities will be discussed in Chapter 00.