Values, where do they come from?   From family, community, god?    To what degree are our values determined by those organizations or communities that we belong to?  In a tightly controlled organization, where the worst punishment would be banishment from that  organization then it is more a matter of control than values.   That control can be good or bad.   If it is the type of control that cult leaders have over there subjects, then it is usually, if not always, bad.    To be ostracized by the entire community that you are in can be devastating  unless there is some way of escaping from that community.    This is a matter of control, but is it a way to develope values.  This raises the question of whether values or honesty, decency,  and integrity can be instilled or undermined by the society or organizations that one is a member of.  I learned a long time ago that being as open and honest as possible is the best policy.  That however is sometimes hard to achieve, especially if we are in desparate situations and feel that being open and honest would only make our situation worse.  There is a saying that "when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging".     This is true on the personal level as well as in national level.  How  many wars could have be avoided or shortened if the particpants would only stop digging their holes deeper.