What Are Your Values? A Guide for Reflection (+Examples)
Here's a riddle for you: Below are three questions. The answer to each question is different, but the question uniting them is the same.
What is it?
🏆 What should you always, always prioritize, above all else?
🏆 Are you making the "right" decisions in your life?
🏆 When you're totally overwhelmed, where do you find motivation to keep going?
Hint: The answer is a question.
(Pause while you consider all of the possibilities.)
The answer: What are your values?
There are as many definitions of what the "right" decisions are (e.g. decisions that lead to a successful, fulfilling, and meaningful life) as there are people on this planet.
As different as each defintion of what the "right" decision may be, each response to this question does share something in common: It's guided by personal values that influence how you perceive ideal behavior. Understanding your own personal value system can help you to shape your own definition of success is, what the "right" decisions are in your life to get there - and, more importantly, why they matter to you.
This article gives a complete overview of what personal values are according to psychological theory, the benefits of understanding values in your daily life, and a step-by-step guide for how to identify your own values. You'll find examples of values listed just before the how-to section to help you get started.
What Are Personal Values?
There are a few different definitions of personal values, but they all essentially describe principles that guide what is most important in a person's life.
According to the Ethics Unwrapped project from the University of Texas, values are "individual beliefs that motivate people to act one way or another. They serve as a guide for human behavior." ¹
Values are occasionally confused with beliefs - and for good reason. They both originate in our social environment, and influence our views, actions, and moral code. However, they are distinct concepts:
Beliefs are a framework of thought for understanding the world.
Values organize beliefs, motives and ideals into human behavior and perception.
Whether or not you're aware of it, values are behind almost every decision you've made in your entire life, from where you live to who you spend time with, and what you eat for breakfast. Reflecting on your personal values to understand them more clearly can help you to make decisions, set priorities that truly matter to you, and, more generally, live a more meaningful life.
Language, Meaning & Values
Values, or, in other words, what's important to you, are deeply tied to the structure and use of language itself. Everyone uses language - most of the time, without even realizing it - to embed values and meaning in communication. Within the social sciences, the study of values expressed in language is known as discourse analysis. ²
Why is this important? Well, words matter! Even if you've never thought twice about your personal values, the way you communicate on a daily basis is embedded with subconscious meaning that stems from your social influences.
The meta way of thinking about this is that the the words you use to describe your values impact the values themselves 🤯
Foreign language illustrate this point. In some cases, words translated directly across languages have multiple meanings - or none at all.
Take Chinese and English, for example.
There is a specific Chinese word for the concept of cultivating a deep respect and duty towards your parents and ancestors. It encompasses a range of behaviors, including providing care, obeying orders from elders, and upholding honor:
Chinese: 孝 (xiào)
English: In English, the closest translation of this word is "filial piety", "respect", or "duty", though there is no expression that fully captures the depth and cultural significance of “孝” in Chinese society. This value is deeply rooted in Confucian philosophy and is fundamental to Chinese familial relationships and social ethics.
Different Types of Values
When it comes to reflecting on your own values and how they contribute to your personal growth, it can be helpful to break them down into categories. The following types of values are based on the nature of motivation behind them, as defined by self-determination theory. ³ This approach can help you to see the bigger picture of your value system and understand what drives you at a deeper level.
Intrinsic Values are the bedrock of who you are. Think of love, truth, and freedom—these values are meaningful in their own right. They fuel your actions through intrinsic motivation; i.e., simply because they resonate with your inner self.
Extrinsic Values are more focused on external rewards. These include traits like ambition, courage, and responsibility. They help you navigate life’s challenges and achieve your goals.
Sacred and Moral Imperatives vary widely and are deeply personal. Rooted in cultural and spiritual beliefs, moral values encompass codes and ethical standards that guide your sense of right and wrong. These values shape your deepest convictions and commitments.
Prioritization & Values Systems
Values - similar to beliefs - work within a system to guide your decisions and priorities. They don't exist in isolation; in fact, your values develop meaning to you personally through the process of weighing them against each other and deciding which is most important.
Ethical decision-making often involves weighing values against each other and choosing which ones to prioritize.
For example, you might value both honesty and kindness. Occasionally, being completely honest might hurt someone you care about. In situations like this, you decide which value takes precedence.
Are you only honest when it would hurt someone not to be straight with them?
Are you always honest, but committed to delivering your insight as kindly as possible?
Do you treat people who threaten or abuse you with kindness - or do you have specific boundaries?
A systematic hierarchy of values can help you to navigate these questions.
To be clear, this hierarchy isn’t static; it evolves with your life experiences and circumstances. Recognizing which values are most important to you can clarify why you make certain choices and, over time, align your decisions with these values to lead a more meaningful life. By understanding your value system, you can make more consistent, authentic decisions that reflect who you truly are (and who you want to be).
So how many values should you identify? As a loose guide, ain for identifying around 5-7 core values. This is typically enough to form a dynamic system rich in meaning, and not too many that you forget what your values even are 😂
The bottom line here is that values don’t exist in isolation; they form a complex web that influences every decision you make. Reflecting on how your values interact and prioritizing them helps you build a cohesive value system. This system supports your decision-making, ensuring that your choices are not only right for you, but also fulfilling in the long run.
Can You Change Your Values?
Values are essentially the social code of culture. Collective values change organically over time, as economic, political, moral, and social tides shift. In the West, for example, it's widely recognized that social values "have been shifting from an overwhelming emphasis on material well-being and physical security toward greater emphasis on the quality of life". ⁴
While there is some philosophical debate around the question of free will here that we won't get into here, it is ultimately possible to decide - as an individual - to change the default values that you learned through social conditioning. For many people, this process of reflection and renewal is an important component of personal growth.
That being said, changing your values isn't like changing your clothes; there are often serious social consequences when you decide the old ones don't fit anymore and it's time for something new. If you're interested in tuning up your values to live a more meaningful life, it's wise to consider whether - and how - your social environment will support this transformation.
2010 research from the University of Adelaide summarizes this effect:
"Core values can be regarded as...one of the most fundamental components of a group's culture...Rejection of core values carries with it the threat of exclusion from the group." ⁵
And when it comes to changing others' values?
Organizational vs Personal Values
When you think of "core values", does some kind of cheesy, aspirational mission statement come to mind? Or maybe a LinkedIn post from a big wig CEO explaining the values behind their professional success? Or perhaps, all you need to do is run a quick search for "core values" and you'll see the pattern. It's likely that the #1 search result will be some kind of guide to authentic corporate messaging from the Harvard Business Review, targeted at....yep, you guessed it - corproate leaders. ⁶
When reflecting on your personal values, take a minute to reflect on the influence that all of this organizational culture-crafting has on your own personal sense of what "good values" are. Corporations, at the end of the day, exist to turn a profit - not to guide you to a more fulfilling life.
If you find yourself feeling guilty for not including "excellence" in your top five, take a moment to consider values across every level of society, from the individual to the nation:
Individuals: At the individual level, values are shaped by personal experiences, beliefs, and reflections. They guide daily decisions and behaviors, influencing how you interact with the world.
Families: Families play a fundamental role in value formation, influencing how we position ourselves in relation to core principles like love, respect, and responsibility. These values often serve as the foundation for your moral and ethical framework.
Racial & Ethnic Groups: Values within racial and ethnic groups are deeply influenced by cultural heritage, traditions, and shared experiences. These values often emphasize community, ancestral respect, belonging, and preservation of cultural identity, fostering a sense of belonging and cultural pride.
Teams: In collaborative team settings, values emphasize mutual support and the achievement of collective goals, including cooperation, respect, and accountability.
Community organizations: Non-profit-oriented social groups typically promote values that forward the public good, including altruism, civic responsibility, and social justice. Participation in these groups fosters a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
Companies: Corporate environments cultivate values aligned with business ethics, innovation, and financial success. Organizational values at this level drive professional conduct, support strategic objectives, uphold business best practices, and protect the bottom line.
Society: Societal values reflect broader cultural, ethical, and legal standards. These values evolve with social progress and influence national policies and collective behaviors.
Nations: National values are embedded in a country's identity, often influenced by historical events, cultural heritage, and political ideologies. They define national character and guide a nation's development and international relations.
Globe; The concept of global citizenship addresses universal issues that include climate change, peace, human development, and equality. Cultivating values beyond borders can nourish a sense of unity, curiosity, and purpose.
Benefits of Identifying Your Personal Values
There are sooo many good reasons to do the work of identifying your personal values. The process of self-reflection will often reward you with a healthier relationship to yourself, for one thing. Here are some other benefits of recognizing your personal values:
Align your priorities with what's most important to you
Discover a new framework for making decisions
Reflect on your innermost motivations
Develop your own definition of success
Understand the influence of your family of origin
Develop relationships that align with your dreams and desires
Examples of Core Values
There are a number of different theories of human values from the social sciences that study cultures around the world to determine how meaning and ideals are created.
Here, one theory in particular - Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Human Values, first publishd in 1992 - offers a useful starting point for basic examples of core values.
The original infographic, figure 1, from “Refining the Theory of Basic Individual Values.”
Updated in 2012, Schwartz's theory identifies ten core values that are universally recognized across cultures, forming a foundational framework for understanding personal values. In the original research, these values are illustrated a circular infographic above. According to the theoretical framework, adjacent values on the wheel are compatible, while values sitting across the wheel are in conflict.
A simplified version of Schwartz’ wheel.
These basic values proposed by this theory are:
1. Self-Direction: Independent thought and action; choosing, creating, exploring.
2. Stimulation: Excitement, novelty, and challenge in life.
3. Hedonism: Pleasure or sensuous gratification for oneself.
4. Achievement: Personal success through demonstrating competence according to social standards.
5. Power: Social status and prestige, control or dominance over people and resources.
6. Security: Safety, harmony, and stability of society, relationships, and self.
7. Conformity: Restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses likely to upset or harm others and violate social expectations or norms.
8. Tradition: Respect, commitment, and acceptance of the customs and ideas that traditional culture or religion provide.
9. Benevolence: Preserving and enhancing the welfare of those with whom one is in frequent personal contact.
10. Universalism: Understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of all people and nature.
If you're looking for an expanded list of 150+ values based on this framework, you can download the complete list of values here.
How to Identify Your Core Personal Values
Are you ready to get to work identifying your personal values? With the context of where values come from, how they can change, and how they work together in a system, let’s dive into a step-by-step guide to identifying your core personal values. This process will help you uncover the principles that define your identity and guide your actions.
1. Reflect on your influences.
Start by reflecting on the influences that have shaped you. Consider the full spectrum of your past experiences, and what they have taught you about what is important.This can include reflecting on your:
Family of origin
Social influences
Personal experiences
Mentors and people you admire
2. Review the complete list.
Take a look at a comprehensive list of core values. This can give you a broad perspective and help you discover values you might not have considered. For an extensive list, see our article on core values (insert internal link here). This step ensures you don’t overlook any values that are significant to you.
3. Narrow down your list (5-10).
Choose the values that stand out as most important to you. Aim for a list of 5-10 core values to keep it manageable and meaningful. These values should truly define your priorities and help you to make decisions. Write them down and let the list sit for a few days (or longer) to make sure these are your true values, and not overly influenced by your mood on that particular day.
4. Put your values into practice.
Recognize when your personal values are at work behind decisions you make in daily life. How does this influence your sense of fulfillment? Living in alignment with your values will reinforce them.
5. Review your list periodically and update it to reflect change.
As you grow and your circumstances change, your values may evolve. From time to time, review your list of core values to ensure they still resonate with you. This ongoing process helps you stay aligned with what truly matters in your life.
Reflection Prompts for Discovering Your Personal Values
For even deeper reflection, follow up the steps above by answering these reflection prompts in your journal to think creatively about your personal values:
What are the most stable aspects of your life?
What will you cancel plans to make happen, no matter what?
What qualities do you admire in yourself and wish to nurture?
What do you genuinely enjoy spending time on?
How do you see your role within your social groups?
What would you choose to do with your life if you were guaranteed to succeed?
-
1. Ethics Unwrapped. “Values - Ethics Unwrapped,” November 5, 2022. https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/values'.
2. Espedal, Benedicte Maria Tveter Kivle and Gry. “Identifying Values Through Discourse Analysis.” Cevios | All About Research, Discourse Analysis and Linguistics, September 8, 2022. https://discoursestudies.net/identifying-values-through-discourse-analysis/.
3. The Center for Self-Determination Theory. “Theoretical Overview,” n.d. https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/theory/.
4. “The Silent Revolution,” Google Books, n.d., https://books.google.dk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wX59BgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=changing+values&ots=BvUmIKCrXw&sig=hXrWumFE1XCjuiUpoEshs81aKT4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=changing%20values&f=false.
5. Smolicz, Jerzy. “Core Values and Cultural Identity.” Ethnic and Racial Studies 4, no. 1 (January 1, 1981): 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.1981.9993325.
6. Lencioni, Patrick M. “Make Your Values Mean Something.” Harvard Business Review, February 16, 2024. https://hbr.org/2002/07/make-your-values-mean-something#:~:text=Core%20values%20are%20the%20deeply,or%20short%2Dterm%20economic%20gain.
7. Schwartz, Shalom H., Jan Cieciuch, Michele Vecchione, Eldad Davidov, Ronald Fischer, Constanze Beierlein, Alice Ramos, et al. “Refining the Theory of Basic Individual Values.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 103, no. 4 (October 1, 2012): 663–88. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029393.