Irony in Values

During the two years of training in social work, we are taught the principles of social work where where the first and foremost principle is being non-judgmental.

Today was talking to a person about an organisation she wanted to apply to but wasn't so sure if she should apply or not and it was a little difficult for her to take the final decision. Just to help her in the decision making, I simply asked her the question regarding what is troubling her the most in regard to applying or not. The answer was "frankly speaking it is the fear of being judged by the people here". There have been instances in past when one's classmate had stopped talking based on the decision other person took for himself/herself during the placement season. The girl here added that after the placement season we still have few months here so what if people get to know that I had applied to this particular organisation, what will their reaction be.

Her this reply made me think, what principles and values do we apply as social workers. Is it that the values we learn during classes to be applied only on field or just applied when it is convenient for us. We might be very accepting and non-judgmental in our field while interacting with the client or might talk about ethics of social work while questioning another colleague. But then what about applying the same principle in our personal lives. Being non-judgmental and accepting people as they are or accepting their decision. We are told, as a social worker our role is not to take decision on other person's behalf but it is to help a person take an informed decision and whatever decision one takes, we should not question the person because the decision the person takes is after a lot of thinking process and analyzing all the dimensions related to it.

The question which arises in my mind at the moment is How can one person keep the professional and personal values so separate that the values might be on extremes. Won't it be an irony or a hypocrisy that a person who on field is completely non judgmental and accepts the people as they are but whereas when it comes to accepting one's colleagues and friends, becomes so judgmental that others around develop a fear of being judged and therefore do not even feel safe to take up a decision regarding one own self...