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My Personal Values in Life

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Published: Jan 31, 2024

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Table of contents

Introduction, body paragraph 1: personal value 1, body paragraph 2: personal value 2, body paragraph 3: personal value 3, counterargument.

• Adler, M. J. (2000). The four dimensions of philosophy: Metaphysical, moral, objective, categorical. Routledge.
• Miller, W. R., & Thoresen, C. E. (2003). Spirituality, religion, and health: An emerging research field. American Psychologist, 58(1), 24-35.
• Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford University Press.

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2 Defining My Personal Values

Donnette Noble & Jeni McRay

INTRODUCTION

What beliefs are important to you? What are the values that help to define who you are and impact what you think, how you act, and how you feel? These are questions that may seem simple to answer, but further study reveals that our values are driving factors in how we choose to live, learn, and lead. This chapter will examine what values are, how they develop, how they are used in decision-making, and how they impact our relationships, vocation, and other parts of our life.

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to…

• define what values are and how they are formed.
• identify your current personal values.
• distinguish some of the cultural and/or social considerations that impact your values.
• understand how to leverage your values to drive positive change.

KEYWORDS: Beliefs, ideals, ethics, morals, alignment, values

Our values guide, motivate, and influence our attitudes and behaviors (Boer & Fischer, 2013). Values encompass our beliefs and ideals, and those are based on the things we learn from others – parents, peers, schools, faith-based communities, government, media, etc. (Fritz et al., 2005). Beliefs (Merriam-Webster, n.d.) are a state of mind or habits wherein trust or confidence is placed in a person or a thing; they are things that are accepted and considered to be true. Ideals (Merriam-Webster, n.d.) are standards or expectations of goals to achieve or models to emulate. Just like values, beliefs, and ideals will differ among people. See Figure 1 for examples of values.

Figure 1 |  Values Word Cloud

Quite simply, values are individually internalized attitudes about what is right, wrong, ethical, unethical, moral, and immoral. Values can influence our perceptions of problems, our preferences, and the choices we make related to our behavior. Examples of values include fairness, justice, honesty, freedom, equality, altruism, loyalty, and civility (Yukl, 2013). Values exist at the individual level, societal or communal level, national level, and within all types of organizations.

Values are not necessarily static, however, and can fluctuate over time when new information is made available, a new experience unfolds, or some new understanding reveals itself. Value systems will also vary, sometimes quite dramatically, from culture to culture and even among the various subcultures within a given country or region.

Our values frame how we view the world around us. This chapter addresses the individual beliefs that serve to motivate people to think and behave in certain ways. It also examines what influences people, shapes their values, and considers the conundrum of competing values as well as how and why values might shift over time. Furthermore, this chapter will present a clear distinction between ethics (studying the societal standards of right and wrong, a legal and codified set of agreed-upon behaviors) and morals (individual principles related to right and wrong). There should be congruence among our values, decision-making, approaches to leadership, and intentions. This chapter also shines a “spotlight” on a convicted felon who thought he held strong and ethical values, yet he participated in one of the biggest corporate fraud cases in United States (U.S.) history.

CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT

In 2000, Andrew Fastow, the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Enron, was named CFO of the Year by CFO Magazine , but “This is my actual trophy,” he later told the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) as he held up his prison ID card (Coonan, 2016). “Every inmate in the federal system is supposed to carry this at all times,” explained Fastow (Coonan, 2016, para. 4). Here’s the interesting thing—he received both the award and the prison card in the same year. How do you become CFO of the Year at the same time that you are committing one of the biggest frauds in the history of corporate America?

In 1985, after the Federal Government deregulated natural gas pipelines, two companies (Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth) merged to form Enron. During the merger process, Enron incurred massive debt, but because of the deregulation of the industry, the company did not have exclusive rights to pipelines. This caused some problems for the company. For Enron to survive, it had to come up with a new and innovative strategy to generate profits and ensure a steady cash flow (Thomas, 2002). The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) hired a global management firm to develop a new strategy. The firm assigned Jeffrey Skilling, an experienced consultant, to take the lead in designing a revolutionary solution. Skilling quickly rose through Enron’s corporate ranks, and ultimately tapped Fastow to be a part of the team.

It was Fastow who was the real “mastermind behind a supremely complex network of off-balance-sheet special purpose entities and shell companies [that were] used to conceal years of massive losses [that were] leveraged on Enron stock” (Coonan, 2016, para. 6). Fastow was a genius in finding business management workarounds and tax loopholes, and all of the maneuvering he choreographed “was approved by the accountants at Enron, the outside auditors, the internal attorneys, the outside attorneys and the board of directors” (Coonan, 2016, para. 8).

Throughout the spring and summer of 2001, the risky deals Enron had made in terms of its underperforming investments began to unravel and caused the company to suffer a huge cash shortfall (Thomas, 2002) that ultimately led to its spectacular collapse when $1 billion in employee retirement funds and 5,000 jobs were wiped out overnight (Flanagan, 2020).

Prior to the collapse, Fastow considered himself to be a hero of sorts (Flanagan, 2020), but, in the end, he served six years in prison for his part in the fraud (a reduced sentence for providing evidence against his colleagues). Skilling (the CEO) served 12 years, and the Chairman of the Board (Ken Lay) died while awaiting his sentencing. Fastow, with the tacit approval of others, followed the rules but compromised values and hurt a lot of people in the process.

“For many organizations, values are a social glue” (Manning & Curtis, 2009, p. 105). Values are used to create a sense of corporate identity, and they can foster greater cohesion. They can also be relied upon to increase effective decision-making: “To be meaningful, values must enter into the daily practice of the organization [and] reflect enduring commitments, not vague and empty platitudes” (p. 105). When it came to Enron, the company’s core values of communication, respect, integrity, and excellence (Enron, 2000) were shrouded in hypocrisy.

As you reflect on this case study, can you think of other situations where people “followed the rules but compromised values”? Can you think of a situation where you have “followed the rules” but still compromised your own values?

“For millennia, philosophers, sociologists, psychologists, and others have tried to figure out just exactly what values are” (Sharma, 2015, p. 42). The word, values , comes from the Latin “valeo” which means to be strong (Sharma, 2015). According to Halstead and Taylor (2000), values can be broadly defined as the principles or fundamental convictions which serve as general guides to human behavior and the related actions are then judged as good or desirable (or not). They can also be considered “abstract ideals” as they relate to people’s behavior (Hanel et al., 2018, p. 1).

  In the 1930s, a psychologist, Gordon Allport (1937), created a list of values, or what he thought were easily recognized consistencies, that tend to define and support a person’s unique path in life (Sharma, 2015). The first of Allport’s values or consistencies is theoretical and encompasses the pursuit of truth and objectivity (something we’ve heard a lot about in the last couple of years but more about that later in the chapter). The second one, economic , is all about usefulness and practicality. The third is aesthetic, which focuses on harmony and beauty. The next is social, which is centered on love and compassion for people. Then there is political value which hinges on power, and finally , religious value which is defined by unity or moral excellence (Tsirogianni & Gaskell, 2011).

Each person is in possession of any number of values, and those values are tied to varying degrees of importance (Schwartz, 2012). For example, a value that may be critically important to one person may not be at all important to someone else. Relying on the works of many theorists over the years (Allport, 1961; Feather, 1995; Kluckhohn, 1951; Morris, 1956; & Rokeach, 1973), Schwartz (2012) contends there are six main features to values (pp. 3-4); (see Table 1).

  Table 1 |  What are Values?

  Defining Values

Social values are the standards that influence the judgments we have about ourselves and others, and they impress upon us what is important as we pursue our individual purpose in life; thus, they are also closely tied to our self-conception. As we endeavor to make value-enhancing choices across the different domains of our lives, we find that our values contribute to our sense of self-worth and efficacy (Tsirogianni & Gaskell, 2011). Values are used to characterize cultural groups, societies, and individuals. Additionally, they are used to trace personal changes over time and can explain the motivational bases of attitudes and behaviors (Schwartz, 2012).

The early years of a child’s life are often completely dependent on their parents: “Parents are a child’s first and most significant shapers of character” (MacElroy, 2003, para. 3). As we grow older, we develop our morals and values, not only based on parental influence but also on the influence from peers. As young people leave home and transition to college, more people come into their lives who play a part in shaping their sense of self (MacElroy, 2003). These new relationships, increased freedom, and more latitude in decision-making can result in shifts or challenges to previously held values.

Values have contextual relevance, and some may cross into different domains while others may not. Personal values related to self may include education, academic accomplishments, physical fitness, self-respect and esteem, responsibility, creativity, wealth, social status, or humor. Relationship values are comprised of concepts such as family, friends, love, loyalty, camaraderie, harmony, and diversity of perspectives. Justice, recognition, opportunities, expertise, and goal achievement are considered vocational values. Spiritual values may address forgiveness, reflection, integrity, wisdom, inner peace, and optimism.

One mechanism to help students assess their own values is adapted from the BCJ Institute for Learning and Development (See Figure 2).

  Figure 2 |  Values Wheel

When people take time to examine their values and think about what is important to them and why, they are more prepared to meet life’s challenges. Having a strong sense of values helps to create a road map that helps them to figure out things such as (BCJ, nd):

• What are their goals and how will they get there?
• What should be prioritized in life?
• How do they want to behave in certain situations?
• What is the best course of action when making decisions?
• What would they like their legacy to be?

There are, however, situations when people find themselves not living in accordance with their values, and this misalignment can create stress, anger, or anxiety and conjure up other negative emotions. Additionally, a lack of alignment can lead to poor or even unethical decision-making. This is why consistency among our values, thoughts, and actions is so critically important. Additionally, when we are living in alignment with our values, we are more resilient and better equipped to address difficulties that will inevitably arise over time.

Values Assessment

Begin this activity by dividing a piece of paper into three columns and label the columns, Personal, Professional, and Community. Under each of the three headings, make a list of values that are important to you personally, professionally, and in terms of community. For example, when it comes to personal values, love and kindness may be important to you. Professionally you might value transparency or integrity. When it comes to community you may value justice or safety. If you need help getting started, click this link for a list of 305 values.

Once you have developed a meaningful list of values, go back through the list and place a star by the five most important values in each of the three categories. For the purpose of this exercise, we will refer to these as your core values.

  Next, prioritize each of your five core values from each section and plot them by drawing the diagram from Figure 2 on a sheet of paper and placing the values in the appropriate category. The most important of the five core values from each list will be closest to the center of the diagram, whereas the values with lesser priority will be toward the periphery of the diagram in each section. Now you have the start of a personalized road map that will aid in helping you maintain consistency in your values, thoughts, and actions in three distinct spaces of your life – personal, professional, and community.

Be ready to discuss your values in each category with the class.

As you think about the motivational bases of attitudes and behaviors, consider what has happened since January 2020. The world has collectively lived with the COVID-19 pandemic, an experience that forced people to reevaluate what is important to them. People have had to reassess what they value and how those values affect their decisions in terms of living through unprecedented circumstances. The U.S. comprises less than 5% of the global population

(Whelan, 2020), yet leads the world in the total number of reported COVID cases (77,956,627) as well as reported deaths (923,110) as of February 15, 2022 ( John Hopkins, 2021 ). These figures have required that people reflect on the role of science in their lives, in addition to considering how mask mandates, social restrictions, and the availability of COVID vaccines impact their values, if at all. This raises one conundrum after another for thoughtful individuals who are trying to sift through the noise to find answers. For instance, do personal liberty and freedom (individual values) take precedence over the greater good of public health concerns (collective values)? The answers lie within the beliefs, ideals, and values each person holds.

  Leadership, Values, and Change

There are many facets to power, and it can be exerted for good or ill. A leader’s personal values and internal code of ethics may be among the most important determinants in terms of how a leader will exercise power (Hughes et al., 2015). Leaders will undoubtedly be faced with challenges time and again, and those challenges often lack simplistic answers. The key is doing what is right and not just what is expedient. This is where authentic leadership comes into play: “authentic leaders exhibit consistency among their values, their beliefs, and their actions” (p. 166), and “honesty, altruism, kindness, fairness, accountability, and optimism” have been identified as core values of authentic leaders (Yukl, 2013, p. 351). The tenets of altruism, fairness, and accountability can be significant drivers of social change.

The basic values we hold dear are those that help us set our course for action as responsible individuals and community members who are concerned with protecting our democratic society. Indeed, the Social Change Model (HERI, 1996) hinges entirely on values with an expectation that leadership will be inclusive. Leadership is a process and not a position, and it explicitly promotes additional values of equity, social justice, self-knowledge, personal empowerment, collaboration, citizenship, and service (Noble & Kniffin, 2021).

The year 2020 was rife with racial and social tensions in the United States. The calls for social justice were amplified after George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis:

Floyd’s death sent a nation of people in quarantine out into the streets in mass protests. Major corporations issued statements in support of Black Lives Matter. Politicians promised a new direction. Years later, some activists argue there is still more work to be done to reach equity and social justice for Black and brown people (Gunderson, 2021, para. 2 – 3).

The Black Lives Matter movement is demonstrative of how racial and social tensions have the power to divide a society based on differing values systems. There is a delicate balancing act that must take place between individual values and those that are important to others. To bridge the gap that these differences create, we must use empathy to better understand the values behind differing opinions. By taking time to understand the values of others, we can identify ways to better engage with others.

Value Systems, Alignment, and Change

One of the national values of the U.S. is explicitly stated in what was considered its defacto motto until 1956, E Pluribus Unum , meaning “from the many, one” (B., 2011). It is a testament to the fact that, from its beginning, the U.S. has been a pluralistic society where different races, ethnicities, religions, traditions, and languages have converged to co-create and share a common national experience; however, the persistence of deep differences among the people residing in the United States raises the corollary challenge of how to maintain at least a basic level of social cohesion and solidarity when in fact, those “deep differences” (Hoover, 2016, p. 26) very often result in competing value systems. While some differences are accommodated, “Peaceful, constructive pluralism doesn’t “just happen.” It requires leadership, both from the top-down (government) and the bottom-up (civil society). Social flourishing becomes sustainable, even under conditions of deepening diversity, when all stakeholders develop reserves of commitment…” (Hoover, 2016, p. 27) to supporting one another and honoring the differences among us – including the ebb and flow of our fluctuating values.

Adding layers to the complexity of competing values are disparate views of both morals and ethics. While the terms are often interchanged, they are not necessarily the same thing. Both words refer to some form of proper conduct (Rosenstand, 1997). Morals address customs or habits, whereas ethics (or moral philosophy) is the study of moral judgments about what is virtuous (or not), just or unjust, right or wrong, good or bad or evil (Moore & Bruder, 2008).

While personality traits are relatively stable throughout one’s life, values are characteristic adaptations and motivational goals that can change as a function of developmental priorities at different ages and stages of one’s life (Gouveia et al., 2015). Schwartz (2012) proffers that there are three systematic sources of age-related differences that can result in shifts in values. These shifts can occur in response to a person’s changing roles associated with their stage in life (this is the first of the systematic sources of changing values). Some of the values of a young, relatively unencumbered, traditional-aged college student likely differ rather significantly when compared to those of a mid-career professional with a partner or spouse and children to raise. The second systematic source of shifts in values is the result of physiological or biological changes – changes in maturity and/or abilities which could include declines in energy and sharpness of the senses. Finally, changes in values can result from societal changes, including democratization and political and economic stability (Gouveia et al., 2015).

Broadly speaking, Brown (2012) suggests there are two buckets that people will put their values into – the practiced values bucket (what we are actually doing, thinking, and feeling) and the aspirational values bucket ( what we want to do, think, and feel). The difference between what is practiced and what is aspirational results in a values gap. Brown (2012) contends that disengagement is inevitable when practiced values conflict with aspirational values and expectations within a culture. Disengagement (detaching, releasing, disconnecting, or withdrawing from someone or something) is the issue underlying the majority of problems that exist in families, schools, communities, and organizations. We must, therefore, mind the gap and stay focused to ensure that our values are aligned and match our actions (Brown, 2012).

Values are messy and complex: “Thinking about [them] is not a luxury; you live them every day of your life. Your values show in the way you treat your friends, enemies, [and others], and they determine your politics, ethics, emotions, daydreams, life, and leisure” (Halberstam, 1993, p.

186). The way we engage our values and how they drive our lives is a lifelong process. What kind of a leader you are will be reflected in how you handle the challenges surrounding your beliefs, ideals, and values – particularly when they collide.

QUESTIONS FOR JOURNALING OR DISCUSSION

• If you are involved in or have completed a service-learning project this semester, identify some of the organizational values you observed. If you haven’t participated in a service-learning project before, identify some of the values you’ve observed in an organization that you have been a client or customer of (either non-profit or for-profit).
• How do the values you observed in the situations described above align with your own values (if they do)?
• If the values you observed are different from your own, what things do you think contributed to those differences?
• When you think of social change, what issues are important to you and which of your values are congruent with those issues?
• Think about a time when you had to work through a difficult situation where two or more of your values were in conflict. How did that make you feel and how did you resolve the situation?

Cave Rescue

Read the following Scenario about a caving accident. After reading the scenario, carefully complete the steps that follow in order. Please do not skip any steps in this process.

Your group is asked to take the role of a research management committee that is funding projects into human behavior in confined spaces. You have been called to an emergency meeting as one of the experiments has run into an emergency situation.

Six volunteers have been taken into a cave system in a remote part of the country connected only by a radio link to the research hut by the cave entrance. It was intended that the volunteers would spend four days underground, but they have been trapped by falling rocks and rising water.

The only rescue team available tells you that rescue will be extremely difficult, and only one person can be brought out each hour with the equipment at their disposal. It is likely that the rapidly rising water will drown some of the volunteers before rescue can be completed.

The volunteers are aware of the dangers of their plight. They have contacted the research hut using the radio link and said that they are unwilling to make a decision regarding the order in which they will be rescued. By the terms of the research project, the responsibility for making this decision now rests with your committee.

Life-saving equipment will arrive in 50 minutes at the cave entrance, and you will need to advise the team of the order for rescue by completing the ranking sheet provided below. The only information you have available is drawn from the project files and is reproduced on the volunteer personal details sheet that can be found below. You may use any criteria you think fit to help you make a decision.

• Individually, use a ranking sheet (see sample below) to indicate the order the volunteers should be extracted from the cave. Write your answers in the left-hand column. You have 10 minutes to do this.
• Working in your groups, discuss the order in which each of you believes each of the volunteers should be removed from the cave. Work to arrive at a group decision by sharing your reasons or criteria and working to develop criteria the group can agree to. Use the right-hand column to record the group consensus.
• Collectively, use a group ranking sheet (see example below) to present the order of extraction from the cave. Share with the class the order of extraction your group arrived at and the issues and values that were discussed in arriving at your decisions.

Cave Rescue Ranking Sheet

• Did your group establish a decision-making criterion? If so, what was it?
• Was consensus reached? If not, what criteria did you use to make your decisions?
• Did everyone feel their point of view was heard and considered by all other team members? Why or why not?
• Was anyone unhappy with the outcome? Why?
• What could other team members have done to listen and support each other?
• What emotions or feelings did you have that affected your ability to make decisions in this activity? What would you have recommended to the research team if this were a real activity?

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Thomas, C. W. (2002). The rise and fall of Enron: When a company looks too good to be true, it usually is. Journal of Accountancy . https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2002/apr/theriseandfallofenron.html

Tsirogianni, S., & Gaskell, G. (2011). The role of plurality and context in social values. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior. 41 (4), 441–465. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5914.2011.00470.x  

Whelan, N. (2020). Countries by percentage of world population. World atlas .  https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-by-percentage-of-world-population.html

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Pearson.

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What Are Your Personal Values?

• Jennifer Nash

Three exercises to help you get to know yourself better.

Learning about what matters to you is key to the decisions you make in your life. Author Jennifer Nash shares how she re-discovered her values during a workshop.

• As a successful career professional and a new entrepreneur, Jennifer thought she was content with her life until she realized all that she had sacrificed to get there — friendships, finances, and family.
• Through the workshop, she learned that being vulnerable and open to change helped her deal with uncertainty better.
• She shares three activities that helped her learn more about herself — a life-wheel concept, a journey map, and reframing your thinking.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Early this year, I attended a three-week long workshop to help me improve my productivity and wellbeing. Walking into my first session, everything seemed normal. I met 19 other people from across the globe, we introduced ourselves, and then, we were asked to complete a self-reflection exercise. We were each handed a sheet of paper with a circle printed at its center. The circle was divided into eight equal segments: Career. Romance. Health. Family. Relationships. Spirituality. Fun. Finances.

• Jennifer Nash , PhD is an executive coach to senior leaders at Fortune 50 organizations, including Google, Exxon Mobil, JP Morgan, Boeing, and Verizon. A former executive at Deloitte Consulting, she is the CEO of Jennifer Nash Coaching & Consulting, helping successful leaders and organizations elevate performance. You can download her Success Toolkit here.

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How to Focus on Your Values in Your Personal Statement

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by CEG Essay Specialist Kaila Barber in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered: 

Identifying your own values, demonstrate your values with examples.

• Reflecting on Your Experiences

It’s important to keep in mind what your reader is hoping to learn from your personal statement. The statement is an opportunity to reflect on your experiences and demonstrate how you think about and relate to the world around you. Specifically, what are some of your values? What’s meaningful to you? What do you find important? 

Personal values can be things like communication, patience, nature, health, personal development, courage, self-love, authenticity, healthy boundaries, or even humor. Before you start drafting your personal statement, take a moment to reflect on the things that you find important and why. 

We’re all very different people coming from different backgrounds, and we have different experiences that impact our individual values. While some of your values will overlap with those of other people, your personal reflection on the values that resonate most with you will separate your statement from someone else’s. 

The best way to include your values, skills, and traits in your essay is to pair them with specific examples and anecdotes. Each anecdote should align with at least one of the values that you find most important and should be accompanied by your personal reflection on the value and its related experience. 

Here’s an example. A student does not have a parent or guardian around to shoulder the expenses of caring for them and their younger sibling. In their outline, the student says that they value autonomy, financial stability, and family. Throughout the essay, they demonstrate these values by talking about getting a part-time job to help support the family and caring for their sibling at home. They also excel academically and even petition to have an AP Physics II course offered at their school. 

The student has shown autonomy by taking the initiative to petition for the new course and by getting a job. They have also demonstrated that both financial stability and family are important to them by pitching in to support their parent and sibling.

Your examples should show your reader your values by being specific and personal to your background and experiences.

Reflecting on Your Experiences 

Reflecting on your values is an equally important part of the personal statement. Your reflections or insight should focus on not only your experiences but also who you are and who you want to become. The insight you include in your essay shows that you’ve really found meaning from your personal experiences.

Insight can take a few forms. A common way to show insight is by writing about a growth experience. Show how you went from point A in your life to point B, and share the lessons you’ve learned along the way. For example, people often reflect on how navigating a strenuous activity or challenge changed the way that they thought about themselves and what they could handle. Reflecting on that change in confidence is one way to demonstrate insight.

One of the clearest ways to explore insight is to self-reflect and write about how something has either connected you to, influenced, or reframed how you think of your own values. Maybe you once pushed yourself too hard, and that experience showed you the value of rest and mindfulness. Or perhaps a change in circumstances shifted or redefined your values to an extent. 

For example, a person might say that while they craved stability as a child because of their home life, they now see the value of risk-taking and adventure in enriching their own knowledge and experiences. In this example, both security and risk are important to the speaker, but their experiences ultimately shifted weight from one value to another.

Regardless of how you approach your personal statement, insight is the overarching meaning that you take away from the relevant experiences and values you’ve shared.

Are you looking for more guidance as you draft your personal statement? Check out this post on how to come up with a strong topic that wows your admissions reader!

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What's the meaning of personal values?

Personal values versus core beliefs, why are personal values important, how can personal values improve self-awareness, how do personal values affect your professional life, 8 benefits of personal values, 10 examples of personal values, how to find your personal values: 6 tips, the importance of adapting your values, moving forward.

Whether you’re deciding to make a career change or trying to make space for more self-care , defining your personal values can act as a guide. But what’s the meaning of personal values, and how can you identify yours? 

You might not have a list of values sitting in your desk drawer. But the choices you’ve made throughout your life likely point to a pattern of priorities. 

Let’s say you value reaching certain professional milestones over excelling at your fitness goals . A new job offer comes your way. The recruiter explains that the schedule is demanding, and the job responsibilities have a steep learning curve.

But it’ll push you to grow your career in transformative ways. If you place a high value on your work goals , you’ll probably say “Yes,” even if it means stepping back from the 5K run you were training for. 

There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to your personal values. Your true values can’t and shouldn’t be suppressed. They make life fulfilling and give you a better sense of self-awareness.

And without a clear understanding of them, you might struggle with self-discovery — the process of finding your true self. As a result, you may find it hard to make decisions, advance your career , or live a meaningful life .

Personal values are a set of guiding principles and beliefs that help you differentiate between “good” and “bad.” These are concepts like integrity versus dishonesty or hard work versus cutting corners. Everyone prioritizes their core values differently, and yours shape how you uniquely move through the world. 

Personal values influence your behaviors, relationships, and everyday life. They guide you through important decision-making, influence personal development, and carve your ideal career path. 

Everyone has a unique set of values. What matters to you might not align with your friends and coworkers. But you’re more likely to share personal core values with the people closest to you.

Research shows that you might even be more attracted to people who share your values . Partners, colleagues, and family members that share yours are big green flags for long-lasting relationships. 

And everyone expresses these values differently. Say you and your coworker both value community . Maybe you practice altruism and organize a company-wide food drive while your coworker plans leadership training for the whole team. These are both valid expressions of the same value. 

You may not be fully aware of your values, and identifying them can help you develop your career, cultivate interpersonal relationships, and spend your free time more purposefully. Understanding what’s important to you can help you align your actions with your inner self.

And this awareness helps you trim the toxic relationships, jobs, or situations that drain your energy so you can live your happiest life . It might even help you feel more fulfilled, since engaging in activities aligned with your values can ease depression and anxiety and improve your mental well-being .

Plus, having a career that reflects the types of values that are important to you can make you more passionate and purposeful in your work. This will ultimately help you succeed in your profession because you’ll have a deeper motivation to do well.

Both personal values and core beliefs guide your decisions and behavior, but you choose personal values and they’re typically positive, while you develop core bel iefs during childhood and they can be harmful or untrue.

You might value honesty and hard work, and you might carry the core belief that you shouldn’t express your emotions because your parents didn’t.

The value is something you think is important and want to express through your behavior, and the core belief is something you believe to be true about the world or yourself, regardless of the evidence. 

There are three types of core beliefs :

• Beliefs about the self
• Beliefs about other people
• Beliefs about the world

Adjusting these is often more difficult than re-evaluating your values, but you can do so by defining your core beliefs, noting where they stem from, and re-framing your understanding of the issue.

Your values form a significant part of your personal identity. They shape you into your authentic self and give you a sense of purpose and meaning, driving your personality, goal setting, and how you lead your life.

Your values also give you a better understanding of who you are. They help you work toward your dreams instead of against them. When you make decisions aligned with your personal values, you feel like your truest self. 

Personal values play an important role in your relationships, too. When you know how to articulate your values, you can set clear boundaries , establish healthy bonds, and develop relationships that honor your self-respect. 

And connecting with your values can help you connect with friends and coworkers who share them. A social network that shares your values can make your relationships more meaningful, supportive, and full of authenticity.

Lastly, prioritizing your values can help you communicate what you need in the workplace, with loved ones, and with friends. Sharing these important feelings can improve your overall well-being, since repressing your emotions can have harmful health effects . And psychologists believe that connecting to important personal values can act as strong motivation to recover your mental wellness . 

Self-awareness is your understanding of who you are and how you differ or align with other people. And self-knowledge — or how clearly you understand your values, attitudes, and behaviors — is integral to developing self-awareness. 

Deepening your self-awareness requires though tful self-reflection. It’s hard work that can make you confront behaviors, decisions, or actions that don’t align with the person you’d like to be. But it’s an important first step to self-improvement. 

Although it’s hard work, the self-awareness you gain through connecting with your personal values will encourage you to stay true to yourself, which will help you make better decisions , invest in your personal development, and strengthen positive relationships. Plus, the hard internal work can make you more confident, creative, and in control of your emotions .

Your personal values aren’t limited to your personal life. Let’s say one of your values is loyalty. This could impact your dependability at work and make you a reliable, trustworthy employee.

Being a loyal employee will help you move forward on your career path. Your coworkers may turn to you for leadership advice, and your manager might recommend you for promotions . 

Or, you could value honesty more than anything else. This could lead you to be a team player that values constructive criticism , collaboration , and integrity . That’s a trait your coworkers will recognize and appreciate, as it contributes positively to the team. 

Think about it this way: how could valuing confidence, determination, and perseverance affect your professional life? Your personal values influence who you are, so naturally, they shape the kind of employee or leader you are.

Personal values touch every aspect of your life. Besides improving your self-awareness and relationships, here are eight ways prioritizing your values can benefit your daily life:

• Boosts your confidence
• Provides you with a vision that informs long-term goals
• Creates a greater sense of purpose in your career goals and ambitions
• Helps you manage stress by focusing on what’s important in life
• Guides your decision-making with a sense of ethics, self-respect, and integrity 
• Informs a leadership style guided by treating others how you’d like to be treated
• Motivates you to be resilient during moments of conflict or great challenges
• Makes you feel more satisfied with the choices that are in alignment with your moral values

You might not know what values are important to you yet. That’s okay. It can take time to understand the meaning of personal values and what yours are. 

You might create an exhaustive list of values or just a few ideas, and you could rank them according to their importance. However you choose to define your personal values , the most important thing is to live by them. 

Here are 10 personal values examples you can use to create your list: 

• Professional achievements
• Independence
• Determination

You can choose your values intentionally, or they may also unconsciously develop as a result of your upbringing or culture. But even if you know how personal values are formed , it’ll likely still take some work to identify the values that guide your life. 

Here are six tips to help you find your values:

• Get to know yourself better by going on a journey of self-discovery
• Identify your short and long-term goals and the big priorities that connect them
• Limit influences (friends, family, coworkers, obligations) that try to dictate your personal values
• Reflect on times when you were the most at ease, and your well-being was at its best
• Think back to life experiences that felt like something was missing in your life, like teamwork , independence, or honesty
• Brainstorm a personal vision statement for your future and identify any core values

Life isn’t static — and neither are your values. At any time, life might throw a new challenge your way. A job, a growing family, or the end of a toxic relationship are all opportunities to self-reflect . And as you adapt to the changes , your values grow and shift with them.

Your values might move around in priority, too. Maybe you used to think a work-life balance was an optional job benefit. After having a child, it may become a non-negotiable priority. It’s important to adapt your values and set goals that reflect your current situation.

Otherwise, a demanding job that doesn’t give you room for your family values may leave you feeling burned out , resentful, or unmotivated. 

Making a habit of checking in and re-evaluating your personal values is a great way to make sure you strive for personal growth , respect your needs, and aren’t controlled by limiting beliefs . 

Values come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of importance. Finding your values takes sustained effort. They aren’t always as straightforward as you think. But they’re always with you, guiding your decisions and influencing your actions.

Now that you know the meaning of personal values, you can take the first step to identify yours and lead yourself to a more fulfilling life.

Committing to uncovering what you value in life will always pay off. You’ll have a greater sense of purpose, a better understanding of yourself, and be able to make decisions that help you achieve what you want in life.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

Belief or value? Learn the difference and set yourself free

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61 Personal Values Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best personal values topic ideas & essay examples, 💡 interesting topics to write about personal values, ✅ good essay topics on personal values.

• Role of Personal and Organizational Values in Job Satisfaction The relationship between the organizational and personal values is often referred to as the value congruence that generates various organizational values and individual predilections to understand how well the individual match to the organization as […]
• Personal Values and Beliefs in Ethical Issues Therefore, the constructs of deontology have enabled me to make decisions based on my responsibilities and obligations as per the expectations of society. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• The Effects of Modern Popular Culture on Personal Beliefs and Values I persisted with this behavior until I was admitted to the university where the modern culture dwells on wearing casually. This essay has showed that modern popular culture changes the beliefs and behaviors of people […]
• Personal Values and Counseling Sessions However, non-verbal clues may reveal the personal values of the counselor to the patient. Counselors should pay special attention to trying to avoid the impact of their personal values on the counseling process and advice […]
• Study of Values: ‘A Scale for Measuring the Dominant Interests in Personality’ by G. Allpor Therefore, within the scope of such studies, it is interesting enough what the way out of such bias will be since the questions are created by the test author who actually decides himself what the […]
• Nursing Ethic: Personal, Cultural and Spiritual Values The value of integrity is crucial in my nursing practice because it helps me to be honest in my profession and adhere to nursing standards and code of ethics.
• Personal Values Importance in Child and Youth Care These three values that are of importance to me fall under the category of values that I acquired as a result of my socialization.
• Comparing Personal Values With Core Values The justification for personal and core values is that, in a workplace setting, employees are happier and more motivated to perform their jobs when their values coincide with those of the business.
• Daniel Roth’s and Sam Hazen’s Personal Values in Leadership Hazen’s primary personal values in his leadership style are commitment, which was mentioned previously, and interpersonal connection: Hazen constantly aims to improve the relationships with his juniors.
• Personal Values and Sexuality in Christianity As a Christian, I think that there is life after death which means that I will be accountable for the sins I did of fornication and premature sex.
• Taking Into Account the Personal Values of a Patient First of all, the preceptor illustrated the active participation in the policy of the hospital unit and healthcare organization as a whole.
• Purchase of Fast Fashion Clothing and Ethical & Personal Values On the other hand, the emergence of the practice threatened the aesthetic value and ethical approach based on the utilization of the available facilities.
• Personality and Values in Human Services Practice In order to overcome this problem, I plan to find a colleague who can help me review the plans and assessments of current situations to ensure that I cover all the basic issues.
• Personal Values and Cardinal Values of the Social Work The proponent of this paper will identify the personal values that are congruent and those that are in conflict with social work’s professional values and what can be done to resolve the conflict in order […]
• Nursing Values: Professional and Personal The nurse manager encourages staff to implement innovations in care and try new approaches to enhance the quality of services. It is possible to conclude that the nurse manager at my workplace presents the professional […]
• Core Values in Personal Belief System These are my core values and include happiness, family, friends, pleasure and financial security and stability. In conclusion, I agree that values are important to my life.
• Career Path Aligned With Personal Values As such a person has to be aware that the goal of writing a text is to communicate and not to merely write thereby choosing the appropriate writing skills.
• Personal Values and Its Contributions on Life Mission As it would be observed, the list of personal values is endless, and this means that different people in the world have different types of personal values that they tend to implement into their lives.
• Business Ethics: Job Requirements vs. Personal Values As underlined by the client, the management’s attitudes to proprietary information are relaxed, and most of the employees would go to great extents to obtain the information required for their projects.
• Personal Values vs. Organizational Values In such a situation, an employee can always refer to the statement when compelled to perform tasks that violate personal values.
• Business Protocols and Personal Values Conflict In order to avoid such conflicts, Chappell asserts that if faced with this type of conflict, one may leave the workplace, do what is required, or come up with a strategy that addresses the issue […]
• Comparison of the Personal Values in America
• The Relationship Between Advertising and Social and Personal Values
• Comparison of the Business Protocol and Personal Values
• Basic Personal Values, the Country’s Crime Rate, and the Fear of Crime
• Business Strategy Management: Alois Hofbauer Personal Values
• Conflict Between Personal Values and Organizational Goals
• Culture and Personal Values: How They Influence Perceived Service Quality
• Difference Between Personal Values and Personal Beliefs
• The Relationships Between Employment and Personal Values
• Factors That Affect Our Personal Values
• Ethical Beliefs and Personal Values of Top Level Executives
• Managers Should Leave Their Personal Values at Home
• Health Professional’s Personal Values Affecting Patient Care
• Relations Between Ethics Awareness Inventory and Personal Values
• How Does Society Shape Our Personal Values
• Differences Between Business Leadership, Social and Personal Values
• Human Services, Legal Issues, Ethical Codes, and Personal Values
• Identifying Personal Values and Appreciating Diversity
• Managing the Diversity: Board Age Diversity, Directors’ Personal Values, and Bank Performance
• How Personal Values Influence Management Style
• Moving Through the Political Participation Hierarchy: A Focus on Personal Values
• Defining Personal Values, Culture, and Religious Beliefs
• Nursing Personal Values’ Development
• Differences Between Personal Values, Ground Rules, and Ethics Development
• Comparison of Organizational Culture and Personal Values
• Personal Values and Attitudes of a Disability Support
• Importance of Personal Values in Counseling
• Social Values: What Is a Personal Value?
• Importance of Personal Values in the Medical Field
• Personal Values: Meaning and Value of the Work Environment
• The Relationship Between Personal Values and Ethical Standards
• Relations of the Moral Compass and Personal Values
• The Importance of Personal Values and Professional Ethics
• The Controversy Between the Personal Values and Social Media
• Personal Values Supporting Enterprises’ Innovations in the Creative Economy
• The Discussion of the Top Five Personal Values
• The Interactions Between Personal and Professional Values
• Relationships Between Personal Values and Leadership Behaviors in Basketball Coaches
• Importance of the Personal Values in Social Work
• The Relationship Between Personal Values and Success
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Essay Samples on Values

The essential role of human values in the 21st century.

The 21st century presents a myriad of challenges and opportunities that call for a renewed emphasis on human values as guiding principles to shape individual behaviors, societal norms, and global interactions. In an era marked by technological advancements, cultural diversification, and interconnectedness, the role of...

• 21St Century

Human Values in 21st Century: A Blueprint for a Better World

The 21st century presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities that demand a reevaluation of the values that guide human behavior. In this era of rapid technological advancements, cultural diversification, and interconnectedness, the importance of human values in the 21st century cannot be overstated....

Unpacking the Value of Community Service Hours

The concept of community service hours, often a requirement in academic and organizational settings, has sparked diverse opinions. While some see it as a mere checkbox to tick off, others view it as an avenue for genuine personal growth and societal contribution. Delving deeper into...

• Community Service

The Power of Censorship: Safeguarding Societal Values

The debate surrounding censorship persuasive is one that evokes strong emotions and diverse opinions. It raises questions about the delicate balance between protecting public morality and preserving the ideals of freedom of expression. While some argue that censorship stifles creativity and limits access to diverse...

The Ascent of Money: Is Money the Root of All Evil

In Niall Ferguson’s The Ascent of Money, Ferguson analyzes the history of money, banking, and credit. He tracks the development of currency as a form of trade, explores its growth and effects on society, and looks forward to how it may continue to develop in...

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Being Proud of Your Values and Beliefs

Hear the phrase “be yourself” all the time but what exactly does it mean. Some people can argue that “being yourself” has to do with your relationship with others, and that is by giving attention to what people think about you; while others can argue...

• Being Yourself
• Personal Beliefs

Understanding What Is The Special Value To Life

Value of life is a question is which many of us try to answer how valuable is our life, how valuable are peoples lives in general. This could be a dark subject if the outcome might be as positive as someone may think. When we...

• Meaning of Life

Defining The Meaning And Value Of Human Life

The biggest cliché of all the questions already had the most varied range of answers. The value of life could even be answered by simple a way: that each individual constructs its own meaning. That is because everyone has their impossible mission in here. Each...

Finding The True Meaning And Value Of Life In Plato's Works

The universal question, “What is the meaning of life?” has been questioned since the beginning of civilization. Answers given by most individuals in today’s society dissent greatly from the answers of Roman and Greek civilizations thousands of years back. Great philosophers such as Socrates, Plato,...

The Meaning Of Life And Value Of Life Based On Plato's Philosophy

What is the meaning of life? There are numerous cultural beliefs on how life should be lived by following certain religious or traditional practices. These “meanings of life” could differ based on racial or religious beliefs but in a way, I believe there is an...

Searching For What Is The Value Of Life

The significance of this quote is to simply educate and persuade those who are experiencing dilemmas and complications regarding their decisions, specifically what they aspire to do in life, to take into consideration that there are viable options to fulfill their lives. I agree with...

The Value Of A Single Life And Its Meaning

Close to 6 million innocent animals enter shelters each year. All across the world, people are faced with the issue of how to deal with the overpopulation of stray animals. However, the murder of these animals should not be justified just because the problem is...

The Impact Of Religion On Defining What Is Value Of Life

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Best topics on Values

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Essays About Values: 5 Essay Examples Plus 10 Prompts

Similar to how our values guide us, let this guide with essays about values and writing prompts help you write your essay.

Values are the core principles that guide the actions we take and the choices we make. They are the cornerstones of our identity. On a community or organizational level, values are the moral code that every member must embrace to live harmoniously and work together towards shared goals. 

We acquire our values from different sources such as parents, mentors, friends, cultures, and experiences. All of these build on one another — some rejected as we see fit — for us to form our perception of our values and what will lead us to a happy and fulfilled life.

5 Essay Examples

1. what today’s classrooms can learn from ancient cultures by linda flanagan, 2. stand out to your hiring panel with a personal value statement by maggie wooll, 3. make your values mean something by patrick m. lencioni, 4. how greed outstripped need by beth azar, 5. a shift in american family values is fueling estrangement by joshua coleman, 1. my core values, 2. how my upbringing shaped my values, 3. values of today’s youth, 4. values of a good friend, 5. an experience that shaped your values, 6. remembering our values when innovating, 7. important values of school culture, 8. books that influenced your values, 9. religious faith and moral values, 10. schwartz’s theory of basic values.

“Connectedness is another core value among Maya families, and teachers seek to cultivate it… While many American teachers also value relationships with their students, that effort is undermined by the competitive environment seen in many Western classrooms.”

Ancient communities keep their traditions and values of a hands-off approach to raising their kids. They also preserve their hunter-gatherer mindsets and others that help their kids gain patience, initiative, a sense of connectedness, and other qualities that make a helpful child.

“How do you align with the company’s mission and add to its culture? Because it contains such vital information, your personal value statement should stand out on your resume or in your application package.”

Want to rise above other candidates in the jobs market? Then always highlight your value statement. A personal value statement should be short but still, capture the aspirations and values of the company. The essay provides an example of a captivating value statement and tips for crafting one.

“Values can set a company apart from the competition by clarifying its identity and serving as a rallying point for employees. But coming up with strong values—and sticking to them—requires real guts.”

Along with the mission and vision, clear values should dictate a company’s strategic goals. However, several CEOs still needed help to grasp organizational values fully. The essay offers a direction in setting these values and impresses on readers the necessity to preserve them at all costs. 

“‘He compared the values held by people in countries with more competitive forms of capitalism with the values of folks in countries that have a more cooperative style of capitalism… These countries rely more on strategic cooperation… rather than relying mostly on free-market competition as the United States does.”

The form of capitalism we have created today has shaped our high value for material happiness. In this process, psychologists said we have allowed our moral and ethical values to drift away from us for greed to take over. You can also check out these essays about utopia .

“From the adult child’s perspective, there might be much to gain from an estrangement: the liberation from those perceived as hurtful or oppressive, the claiming of authority in a relationship, and the sense of control over which people to keep in one’s life. For the mother or father, there is little benefit when their child cuts off contact.”

It is most challenging when the bonds between parent and child weaken in later years. Psychologists have been navigating this problem among modern families, which is not an easy conflict to resolve. It requires both parties to give their best in humbling themselves and understanding their loved ones, no matter how divergent their values are. 

10 Writing  Prompts On Essays About Values

For this topic prompt, contemplate your non-negotiable core values and why you strive to observe them at all costs. For example, you might value honesty and integrity above all else. Expound on why cultivating fundamental values leads to a happy and meaningful life. Finally, ponder other values you would like to gain for your future self. Write down how you have been practicing to adopt these aspired values. 

Many of our values may have been instilled in us during childhood. This essay discusses the essential values you gained from your parents or teachers while growing up. Expound on their importance in helping you flourish in your adult years. Then, offer recommendations on what households, schools, or communities can do to ensure that more young people adopt these values.

Is today’s youth lacking essential values, or is there simply a shift in what values generations uphold? Strive to answer this and write down the healthy values that are emerging and dying. Then think of ways society can preserve healthy values while doing away with bad ones. Of course, this change will always start at home, so also encourage parents, as role models, to be mindful of their words, actions and behavior.  

The greatest gift in life is friendship. In this essay, enumerate the top values a friend should have. You may use your best friend as an example. Then, cite the best traits your best friend has that have influenced you to be a better version of yourself. Finally, expound on how these values can effectively sustain a healthy friendship in the long term. 

We all have that one defining experience that has forever changed how we see life and the values we hold dear. Describe yours through storytelling with the help of our storytelling guide . This experience may involve a decision, a conversation you had with someone, or a speech you heard at an event.  

With today’s innovation, scientists can make positive changes happen. But can we truly exercise our values when we fiddle with new technologies whose full extent of positive and adverse effects we do not yet understand such as AI? Contemplate this question and look into existing regulations on how we curb the creation or use of technologies that go against our values. Finally, assess these rules’ effectiveness and other options society has. 

Highlight a school’s role in honing a person’s values. Then, look into the different aspects of your school’s culture. Identify which best practices distinct in your school are helping students develop their values. You could consider whether your teachers exhibit themselves as admirable role models or specific parts of the curriculum that help you build good character. 

In this essay, recommend your readers to pick up your favorite books, particularly those that served as pathways to enlightening insights and values. To start, provide a summary of the book’s story. It would be better if you could do so without revealing too much to avoid spoiling your readers’ experience. Then, elaborate on how you have applied the values you learned from the book.

For many, religious faith is the underlying reason for their values. For this prompt, explore further the inextricable links between religion and values. If you identify with a certain religion, share your thoughts on the values your sector subscribes to. You can also tread the more controversial path on the conflicts of religious values with socially accepted beliefs or practices, such as abortion. 

Dive deeper into the ten universal values that social psychologist Shalom Schwartz came up with: power, achievement, hedonism, stimulation, self-direction, universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity, and security. Look into their connections and conflicts against each other. Then, pick your favorite value and explain how you relate to it the most. Also, find if value conflicts within you, as theorized by Schwartz.

Make sure to check out our round-up of the best essay checkers . If you want to use the latest grammar software, read our guide on using an AI grammar checker .

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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Personal Essay Sample: My Values

“Values are not just words, values are what we live by. They're about the causes that we champion and the people we fight for.” -John F. Kerry. Our values play an essential role in our life as it can alter our thinking, behaviour, decisions, social circle and our personality. Thus, values can shape the society we live in. Nowadays, people’s values are easily affected as most people are frequently exposed to social media. Experts claim that a fraction of today's youth acquires unwholesome values due to the erroneous mindset conveyed by some internet users. The values I hold, nevertheless, are appreciation, kindness, and courage. I can best live my life in line by being grateful for my contemporary life, helping the ones in need, and embracing failure, hence, hoping to establish a society that is intellectual and peaceful.

Starting from my first value, which is appreciation, I usually look back on what recent events and embrace my contemporary life from time to time. To give an illustration, I would listen to my favourite songs and attempt to put my aggravation aside for the time being, remembering my best times and be grateful for being able to live through them. It definitely gives me much motivation to explore my future. In consequence, I am able to ensure that I constantly act in accordance with my principles and am consistently grateful for the amazing things I currently possess. In short, I recall the phenomenal things that happened to me recently and appreciate them which allows me to best live my life in line.

Furthermore, kindness is the following value of mine. With this in mind, I always do my best to help the ones who are in need of assistance. For instance, I will donate money and food to a charity and aid my friends when they are in need. Though, I had encountered several counterfeit charities that failed to offer updates on the money and supplies donated. Hence, I will do much research about a charity and even visit the organisation if possible before donating, which will undoubtedly assist me in living my life in accordance with the value of kindness by preventing me from getting scammed by those who use the name of charity to make money for themselves instead. In brief, I often provide assistance to those who require help whether in financial or studies.

Moreover, courage is also one of my core values in life. Despite not being particularly outstanding in everything, I enjoy challenging myself by engaging in various activities and competitions. Sure, I might not win the competition in the end, though I truly enjoy the process of me putting a myriad of efforts into preparing for the activities and competitions. As a matter of fact, I used to fear expressing myself and competing as I was terrified of being ridiculed if I perform egregiously in front of others. Yet, after trying to cope with my core value, courage, I have been venturing outside of my comfort zone, and I now feel psychologically strengthened and prepared for future difficulties. To summarise, I compete in a variety of competitions on a regular basis in order to train my courage and to best live my life in line with one of my core values, courage.

I wish to build a society that is intellectual, peaceful, and respectful, in addition to the ideals I embrace. To offer an example, I wish our people could determine the veracity of a situation and conduct a background investigation before passing judgement. In addition, I wish to create a society that is capable of solving problems through communication, as well as one that respects each individual's decision and viewpoint. Briefly, I hope to construct a society that is intellectual, peaceful, and courteous.

In conclusion, appreciation, kindness, and courage are ideals I hold. I can best live my life in line by being grateful for my current circumstances, assisting those in need, and embracing failure, therefore aiming to establish an intellectual, peaceful, and prosperous community. In the future, I will do my best to live up to my values, and I hope you will be able to do the same!

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209+ Personal Values A-Z (Definition + Examples)

Imagine a compass that guides our thoughts, decisions, and actions; that's what personal values are like for each one of us.

Personal values are deep-seated beliefs and principles that influence our choices, shape our behaviors, and provide a framework for understanding our place in the world. Whether we're aware of them or not, our values play a vital role in determining the course of our lives.

From shaping our personal relationships to guiding our professional aspirations, they act as invisible threads weaving the tapestry of our experiences.

In this article, we'll delve deep into the realm of personal values, exploring their psychological underpinnings, the difference between collective and individual values, and even debates surrounding their nature.

Plus, we'll provide a comprehensive list of personal values examples for those curious about identifying and reflecting on their own core beliefs.

The Psychology of Values

When psychologists talk about values, they mean the things that are super important to us—kind of like our invisible rulebook.

Let's say you really care about honesty; that means you're more likely to tell the truth, even when it's hard. So, in psychology, a value isn't just some idea; it's like a guiding star that helps us make choices in our lives.

These values could be things like love, respect, or courage. Each of these shapes the way we act, what we say, and even what we think about in our free time.

But values aren't just single words or simple ideas; they're more complex.

For example, if you value "family," that might mean you spend a lot of time with your relatives, or it might mean you're working hard to give them a better life.

Each person's value has its unique flavor, like ice cream! You and your friend might both love ice cream, but you might like chocolate, and they might prefer vanilla. It's the same with values. We might share similar values but interpret them in our own special way.

Why Values Matter

You might be wondering, "Why should I even care about values?" Well, values are like the GPS in our brain that helps us make decisions. Think about when you have to choose between doing your homework and hanging out with friends. Your values guide you in making that choice.

If you value education, you'll likely choose to do your homework. If you value social connections more, you might opt to spend time with your friends.

Values also shape our emotions and how we react to things. Imagine someone lies to you. How you feel about that—angry, hurt, or maybe forgiving—is influenced by your values. If you value honesty highly, you might get really upset. On the other hand, if you value forgiveness, you might be more understanding.

Even more, our values affect how we treat other people. If you value kindness, you're more likely to help someone in need without expecting anything in return. So, values are super powerful; they influence not just our actions but our feelings and the way we treat others, which is pretty awesome when you think about it!

Knowing what values we hold is important for mental health too. On the flip side, an interesting study recently showed that individuals with mental health disorders tend to value tradition, conformity, and security more than people without a disorder. Identifying and living by our values also helps people recover and manage their mental disorders.

The Formation of Values

Values aren't just something that appear out of nowhere; they grow and shape themselves over time like a tree. When you're little, your parents, or whoever takes care of you, plant the first seeds of these values. Maybe they teach you to say "please" and "thank you," which helps you learn the value of politeness.

As you get older, other things like school, friends, and experiences water this value tree, making it grow stronger or sometimes changing its shape. A teacher might inspire you to value learning, or a good friendship might teach you the importance of trust. Even the books you read or the shows you watch can make you think differently about what's important to you.

It's kind of like building a LEGO tower. Each LEGO block is an experience or lesson that adds to your values. And just like a LEGO tower, your value system can change if you decide to rearrange some blocks. That's why it's cool to keep learning and having new experiences; they can help you understand your values better.

Values and Mental Health

Believe it or not, knowing your values can even make you feel happier and less stressed. It's like having a map for a treasure hunt; when you know where you're going, it's a lot easier to get there. People who understand their values often have a clearer idea of what makes them happy, what kinds of jobs they might enjoy, or even what kind of friends they want to have.

Not knowing your values, or going against them, can make you feel lost or confused. Imagine trying to sail a boat without a compass; you might end up going in circles or getting stuck. That's why it's good to spend some time thinking about what really matters to you.

In fact, psychologists often help people explore their values when they're going through tough times. It helps people make better choices and even deal with problems like stress or sadness. So, understanding your values isn't just a neat idea; it's a tool that can help you navigate the ups and downs of life.

The Difference Between Values and Morals

You've probably heard the words "values" and "morals" used a lot, and sometimes, they're used almost like they mean the same thing. But guess what? Even though they're close cousins, they're not exactly twins. Let's take a closer look at how they're different and why it's important to know the difference.

What are Values?

You've already got the scoop on what values are—those guiding stars that help you make decisions in life. Remember, values can cover a lot of ground. They can be things like honesty, family, and even personal freedom. But the key thing is, values are your personal guidebook. They're what you think is important in life, and they help you decide how you act, think, and feel.

What are Morals?

Morals, on the other hand, are more like a community's rulebook about what's right and wrong . These are the dos and don'ts that help people live together without turning everything into a giant mess. For example, most people agree that stealing is wrong—that's a moral standard. Morals often come from bigger places like cultural beliefs, religious teachings, or even laws.

How are They Different?

Imagine you're in a ship. Your values are like your personal map, showing you where you want to go based on what's important to you. Morals are like the general sea rules that all ships should follow, like "don't crash into other boats."

Here's another way to look at it. Let's say you value honesty, so you always tell the truth. That's your personal choice based on your values. But morals come into play when you think about the larger rule that lying is generally considered wrong by most people in your community or culture. In this case, your personal value of honesty lines up nicely with the broader moral belief that lying is wrong.

The way that we develop morals and values is very similar. Piaget's Theory of Moral Development claims that three things influence our development: rules, moral responsibility, and justice. Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development claims that by the time we are 20 years old, our values and morals are pretty well established.

Why It Matters to Know the Difference

Understanding the difference between values and morals helps you navigate life more smoothly. Your values help you make personal choices that make you happy and proud of who you are. Knowing the morals of your community or culture helps you get along with others and be a good citizen.

Sometimes, your values and morals might bump heads. For instance, you might value individual freedom but live in a community where certain behaviors are considered morally wrong. Knowing the difference can help you make decisions that honor both your personal beliefs and the rules of the community you live in.

So, while values and morals are closely related, they're not the same thing. Your values are your personal guide, while morals are the broader rules set by your community. Both are super important and understanding how they work together can help you live a life that's both happy and harmonious.

Individual vs. Collective Values

When it comes to values, it's not just a "me, myself, and I" thing. While each of us has our own set of personal values that guide our choices, we're also part of bigger groups—like families, schools, and countries—that have their own sets of values. These bigger sets of values are called "collective values." So, what's the difference between individual and collective values, and how do they work together? Let's dive in and find out!

What are Individual Values?

Think of individual values as your personal playlist of favorite songs. This playlist includes the tunes—or values—that resonate with you the most. These are the things that make your heart beat faster and guide your actions. It could be stuff like courage, friendship, or creativity. For example, if you value hard work, you might be the kind of person who always gives 100% in everything you do, whether it's a school project or a weekend hobby.

Your individual values are super personal. They're shaped by your experiences, the people you hang out with, and what you believe deep down is important. Just like you wouldn't want anyone messing with your favorite playlist, your individual values are yours and yours alone.

What are Collective Values?

Collective values, on the other hand, are like the top charts of music that a lot of people love. These are values that a group of people agree are important, whether that group is your family, your school, or even your whole country. For instance, many schools value respect and teamwork, which is why they teach you to respect your teachers and work well in groups.

But collective values aren't just about rules or being polite. They help create a sense of belonging and unity. Imagine a big family dinner where everyone values spending quality time together. Those shared values make the meal special and help everyone feel like they're part of something bigger.

The Difference

Here's the big difference: individual values are all about you, and collective values are all about the group. Your individual values are like a selfie—unique and personal. Collective values are more like a group photo, where everyone is part of the picture.

But sometimes there can be a bit of tension between the two. Let's say your family has a Sunday dinner tradition, but you value personal time to read or draw. That's where individual and collective values might clash a bit. The cool thing is, understanding the difference can help you find a balance, like maybe reading before dinner or drawing after everyone has left.

The Interaction Between Them

Guess what? Individual and collective values are not enemies; they can actually be best friends sometimes. Your personal values can influence the group, and the group's values can influence you. For example, if you bring your value of environmental care into your family, you might get everyone recycling or saving water. At the same time, being part of a sports team that values teamwork can help you learn to be a better friend.

In fact, a lot of times our individual values are shaped by the collective values of the groups we're part of. It's like a dance where sometimes you lead, and sometimes you follow, but you're both part of the same rhythm.

Debates Around Personal Values

When we talk about values, you might think it's all straightforward—just decide what's important to you, and you're good to go, right? Well, not so fast! People have different opinions about what values are, where they come from, and even if everyone should have the same ones. Let's look at some of the big debates around this topic.

Nature vs. Nurture

One of the oldest debates in the book is "nature versus nurture." It's like asking, "Were you born loving pizza, or did you learn to love it because everyone around you does?" Some people think our values are built into us from the moment we're born—that it's all about "nature." Others believe our environment, or "nurture," plays a bigger role.

The truth is, it's probably a mix of both. You might be naturally inclined to be curious, but going to a school that encourages asking questions can make that part of you even stronger.

Universal Values vs. Cultural Values

Another hot topic is whether some values are universal—meaning everyone, everywhere should have them—or if values can change depending on your culture. For instance, freedom might be a big deal in one country but less important in another where community harmony is valued more.

This debate can get really tricky when people from different cultures interact. What if something you value, like individual success, is seen differently in another culture that values group harmony? There's no easy answer, but it's important to be open to understanding how different values can be.

Changing Values Over Time

Here's a question for you: Do values change over time, or are they set in stone? Some people think that once you have a set of values, they stick with you for life. Others argue that as you grow and experience new things, your values can shift .

Think about it. As a kid, maybe you valued playtime above all else. But as you grow up, other things like career success or family might take the top spots on your list. It's a debate without a clear answer, but it's good to know that it's okay for your values to evolve as you do.

The Role of Society

Last but not least, there's a debate about how much society should influence our personal values. Should there be a set list of "good" values that everyone should follow? Or should each person be free to choose their own path?

It's a big question, especially when you think about things like laws or school rules. Some people think that having shared values makes a society stronger. Others worry that trying to make everyone have the same values takes away personal freedom.

Examples of Personal Values

Alright, so we've talked a lot about what values are, where they might come from, and even some debates around them. Now let's get down to the nitty-gritty: What are some examples of personal values? Whether you're just starting to think about your own values or looking to understand others better, here's a handy list to get you thinking.

Values That Start With A

Accountability.

Taking responsibility for your actions and owning up to your mistakes or successes.

Achievement

Striving to accomplish goals and enjoying the sense of accomplishment that comes with it.

Adaptability

Being able to adjust to new conditions or environments smoothly.

Seeking and enjoying new experiences, even if they bring some level of risk or uncertainty.

Valuing close relationships and showing care and love toward others.

Putting others' needs before your own, and acting to benefit society at large.

Having a strong desire for success, achievement, or distinction in something that requires dedication and hard work.

Assertiveness

Standing up for your beliefs and values, and expressing your thoughts, feelings, or needs directly.

Authenticity

Being genuine and true to your own character and values.

Desiring independence and the freedom to make your own choices.

Values That Start With B

Seeking equilibrium between different aspects of life such as work, family, and health.

Appreciating aesthetics, symmetry, or grace in both natural and man-made environments.

Desiring a sense of community and relationship with others; valuing being part of a group or family.

Benevolence

Wishing well for others and helping them achieve what they desire.

Daring to take risks, venture into the unknown, or challenge the status quo.

Facing difficult situations with courage and resolve.

Values That Start With C

Valuing tranquility and quiet, and avoiding unnecessary stress or drama.

Having the skills and abilities needed to achieve goals or handle certain situations.

Carefulness

Taking caution in actions and decisions to avoid unnecessary risks or harm.

Taking on difficult tasks as a way to grow and develop.

Giving help or resources to those in need, without expecting anything in return.

Cheerfulness

Maintaining a positive and optimistic attitude, even in difficult situations.

Valuing clear communication and understanding in both thought and expression.

Cleanliness

Keeping oneself and one's environment neat and orderly.

Collaboration

Believing that working together as a team often yields better results than working alone.

Dedicating oneself to a cause, relationship, or goal.

Feeling empathy towards others and wanting to help those in need.

Having the skills and abilities to perform tasks well.

Believing in one's own abilities and making decisions without undue hesitation.

Consistency

Valuing stability and uniformity in actions and decisions.

Contentment

Being satisfied with what you have and where you are in life.

Contribution

Wanting to make a positive impact on other people or a particular situation.

Cooperation

Working well with others, often putting the group’s needs ahead of your own.

Facing fears or difficulties with grace and resolve.

Being polite and respectful toward others.

Valuing innovative thinking and the creation of new ideas or things.

Having a strong desire to learn or know more about something or someone.

Values That Start With D

Decisiveness.

Being able to make decisions quickly and effectively.

Committing to a task or cause for the long haul.

Valuing the right of each individual in a group to have a say in decisions that affect them.

Dependability

Being reliable and trustworthy in all your endeavors.

Determination

Staying focused on a task and seeing it through to completion.

Dedicating time and energy to a person, cause, or belief.

Working hard and staying focused to achieve what needs to be done.

Having self-control and the ability to stick with difficult tasks.

Valuing the inclusion of people from all backgrounds and beliefs.

Having an internal motivation that propels you to achieve.

Feeling a moral or ethical obligation to perform certain actions.

Values That Start With E

Having a keen interest or intense desire to do or achieve something.

Valuing the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

Completing tasks in the most effective way without wasting time or effort.

Being able to understand and share the feelings of others.

Empowerment

Encouraging and allowing others to take control of their own destiny or situation.

Having the stamina to withstand stress or hardship.

Believing everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities.

Doing the best possible job with the resources available.

Valuing the thrill and exhilaration of new experiences.

Exploration

Being eager to explore new places, try new things, and learn.

Values That Start With F

Treating people equally without favoritism or discrimination.

Having a strong belief in something, especially without evidence or proof.

Faithfulness

Staying true to someone or something over time.

Valuing familial relationships and spending quality time with family members.

Flexibility

Being able to adapt to new situations as they arise.

Forgiveness

Being able to forgive those who have wronged you.

Having mental and emotional strength to endure hardship.

Valuing the ability to think or act without outside constraint.

Friendliness

Being approachable and easy to get along with.

Valuing a close relationship based on mutual trust and affection.

Being economical and avoiding waste, often particularly with resources like money or time.

Values That Start With G

Willing to give freely, whether it's time, money, or some other resource.

Handling situations with a sense of elegance or dignity.

Being thankful for what you have.

Having the courage and resolve to accomplish long-term goals.

Seeking personal development, whether it's emotional, mental, or physical.

Values That Start With H

Valuing your own happiness and working to achieve it.

Valuing peace and a balanced, calm lifestyle.

Prioritizing your own well-being, both physically and mentally.

Valuing the truth and striving to be truthful in all interactions.

Having a strong moral compass and maintaining your integrity.

Believing that something good will happen, even in difficult times.

Not viewing oneself as more special or better than others.

Appreciating and valuing laughter and joy.

Values That Start With I

Pursuing high goals and ideals, even if they are difficult to achieve.

Imagination

Valuing creativity and the ability to imagine new possibilities.

Independence

Being able to take care of yourself without relying too much on others.

Individuality

Valuing your own unique traits and not conforming solely to social norms.

Valuing new ideas and seeking novel solutions to problems.

Having strong moral principles and being honest and fair.

Intelligence

Valuing intellectual capabilities and pursuits.

Trusting your own instincts and gut feelings.

Values That Start With J

For those who appreciate the arts or creativity, jazziness could be a value. This would signify an appreciation for spontaneity, improvisation, and the blending of different styles or cultures.

Finding happiness and delight in your surroundings and experiences.

Valuing the process or journey over the destination. This might mean that you appreciate the learning and experiences that come with pursuing a goal, rather than just the end result.

Valuing good humor and cheerfulness. If you appreciate joviality, you likely try to keep a positive outlook and bring a sense of light-heartedness to interactions with others.

Judiciousness

Valuing the ability to make sensible and wise decisions, especially in difficult situations. If you hold judiciousness as a value, you likely think things through carefully and weigh the pros and cons before taking action.

Judgement-Free

Valuing a non-judgmental approach towards others. This could mean providing a safe space for people to express themselves without fear of harsh criticism.

Valuing fairness and ensuring everyone is treated equally.

Valuing the simplicity and wonder associated with childhood. This doesn't mean you're immature; instead, you appreciate the straightforward joy and curiosity often seen in younger individuals.

Juxtaposition

Appreciating the value of contrast or opposition, whether in ideas, design, or in other forms. You might find depth and meaning in contrasting experiences or perspectives.

Values That Start With K

Believing in cause and effect, where your actions, good or bad, will return to you in some form. If you value karma, you aim to do good in the world, believing that it will eventually come back to you.

Being intensely interested or eager about something. Whether it's a hobby, a subject matter, or a social cause, valuing keenness means you're excited to dive deep and learn as much as you can.

Valuing the fundamental principles or elements that everything else depends upon. This could apply to a belief system, a business model, or even a personal regimen that you think serves as a foundation for success.

Being considerate, generous, and friendly to others.

Valuing family ties and friendships as an essential part of human life. If you value kinship, the bonds you share with those close to you are likely among your most cherished relationships.

Knightliness

Valuing the qualities of a medieval knight, like chivalry, courtesy, and bravery. This might seem a bit old-fashioned, but if you value knightliness, you appreciate acts of courage and honor in daily life.

Valuing the acquisition and application of information.

Placing importance on praise and honor received from others. If this is a value for you, you likely work hard to achieve things that you and others can be proud of.

Values That Start With L

Having the ability to lead and inspire others.

Pursuing knowledge and personal growth.

Being able to pay close attention to what others are saying and understand them.

Valuing reason and clear, sound reasoning.

Valuing deep, emotional connections with others.

Being faithful to those you have commitments to.

Values That Start With M

Becoming highly skilled or proficient in certain areas.

Having well-developed emotional and intellectual capabilities.

Seeking a sense of purpose or significance in life.

Valuing quiet reflection and mental clarity.

Mindfulness

Being fully aware and present in the moment.

Avoiding extremes and finding a balanced, middle ground.

Having the desire and will to accomplish specific goals.

Values That Start With N

Valuing what's natural or grounded in nature. This can extend from preferring natural foods and medicines to enjoying spending time outdoors.

Navigability

Valuing the ability to navigate through life's challenges effectively. If this is a value for you, you're likely good at problem-solving and appreciate others who can find their way through complicated situations.

Neighborliness

Valuing a sense of community and good relations with the people who live near you. If you value neighborliness, you likely try to be friendly and helpful to those around you.

Valuing impartiality and objectivity, especially in conflicts or debates. If you value neutrality, you probably strive to look at issues from multiple angles before forming an opinion.

Valuing high moral qualities such as honesty, courage, and generosity. If you value nobility, you strive to act in a manner that is honorable and virtuous.

Nonchalance

Valuing a calm and composed demeanor, especially in stressful situations. If you value nonchalance, you likely handle stress well and don’t easily get ruffled.

Non-Conformity

The act of not following conventional rules, beliefs, or practices. If you value non-conformity, you're probably unafraid to go against the grain and forge your own path.

Valuing memories and the feelings they evoke. While some people look always to the future, if you value nostalgia, you find comfort and guidance in reminiscing about the past.

Valuing recognition from others, even if it's not always in a positive light. This could mean you're driven to be well-known or leave a lasting impression.

Valuing new experiences, ideas, or innovations. If novelty is a value for you, you might be easily bored by routine and constantly seek out the new and exciting.

Appreciating the subtle or complex differences in situations, people, or issues. If nuance is important to you, you value a deeper or more sophisticated understanding of things.

Taking care of others and helping them grow.

Values That Start With O

Open-mindedness.

Being willing to consider different ideas or opinions.

Having a positive outlook on life and expecting the best possible outcome.

Organization

Keeping your life and environment neat and in order.

Originality

Valuing unique ideas and actions over conforming to the norm.

Values That Start With P

Having intense enthusiasm or desire for something or someone.

Being able to wait calmly without getting frustrated.

Valuing a state of tranquility and absence of conflict.

Perseverance

Continuing to try, even when things are tough.

Perspective

Being able to see things from different points of view.

Philanthropy

Donating resources or effort to help others, without expecting anything in return.

Playfulness

Valuing humor, fun, and games as a way to relax and connect with others.

Seeking and valuing enjoyable experiences.

Maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude.

Practicality

Valuing what is usable and sensible over what is abstract.

Preparedness

Making sure you're ready for any situation that might arise.

Taking satisfaction in your achievements and capabilities.

Valuing your personal space and keeping certain things to yourself.

Seeking advancement and constructive change.

Exercising careful judgment and caution.

Having a reason for doing what you do, giving you a sense of direction.

Values That Start With Q

Pursuing excellence and high standards.

Quality Time

Valuing meaningful and fulfilling interactions with loved ones over just 'spending time' together. If this is a value for you, you prefer deeper conversations and shared experiences that contribute to closer relationships.

Quantifiability

Valuing things that can be measured or quantified. This could be important for people who love data, statistics, and concrete results.

Quest for Knowledge

Valuing the journey toward learning and self-discovery. This goes beyond just 'knowledge' to emphasize the ongoing process and adventure of learning.

Quick-Wittedness

Valuing the ability to think and respond quickly, especially in challenging or unexpected situations. If you value quick-wittedness, you likely appreciate humor, clever conversation, and resourceful problem-solving.

Valuing peace, quiet, and tranquility. If quietude is important to you, you probably enjoy moments of solitude and places that offer a break from noise and hustle.

Quintessence

Valuing the purest and most essential aspects of life, whether that's love, happiness, or some other fundamental quality. If you value quintessence, you likely strive for the "real deal" in your experiences and relationships.

Appreciating uniqueness and individuality, even if it's unconventional. If quirkiness is a value for you, you probably love things that stand out from the norm, whether it's art, people, or experiences.

Valuing the principle of collective agreement or consensus, especially in a decision-making process. If quorum is a value for you, you believe that decisions should be made collectively with a minimum number of participants to ensure fairness and representation.

Quotability

Appreciating wit, wisdom, or insight that's worth quoting. If this is a value for you, you love those "a-ha" moments when someone says something so true or clever that it's worth remembering and repeating.

Values That Start With R

Using logical thinking to make decisions and understand things.

Recognition

Valuing acknowledgment and appreciation from others.

Rejuvenation

Valuing the time to rest and restore your energy.

Reliability

Being dependable and keeping your promises.

Recovering quickly from difficulties and setbacks.

Treating others with dignity and understanding their value.

Responsibility

Being accountable for your actions and their consequences.

Values That Start With S

Valuing safety and stability in your life.

Self-Actualization

Realizing your potential and becoming the best version of yourself.

Taking time to look after your own well-being.

Self-Control

Being able to regulate your emotions and actions.

Self-Esteem

Having confidence in your own worth or abilities.

Self-Expression

Freely expressing your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.

Self-Improvement

Constantly looking for ways to improve and become better.

Self-Reliance

Relying on your own skills and efforts to achieve things.

Sensitivity

Being aware of and understanding the feelings of yourself and others.

Providing help or beneficial actions to others.

Valuing a lifestyle free of unnecessary complexities.

Being open and truthful in your dealings with others.

Skillfulness

Having dexterity or talent in a particular area.

Standing together with others for a common cause or value.

Spirituality

Valuing a connection to something greater than oneself.

Valuing consistency and steadiness in your life or environment.

Stewardship

Taking good care of resources or privileges that are entrusted to you.

Having physical, emotional, or intellectual power or vigor.

Achieving goals and fulfilling your intentions.

Offering help or emotional support to others.

Sustainability

Valuing long-term well-being over short-term gains, often particularly in the context of environmental care.

Values That Start With T

Working cooperatively with others to achieve a common goal.

Thoughtfulness

Paying attention to details that show you care.

Being accepting of others, even when they are different from you.

Valuing customs, rituals, and beliefs passed down through generations.

Transparency

Being open and honest in your interactions.

Having faith in someone or something.

Values That Start With U

Understanding.

Taking the time to know something or someone in depth.

Feeling a sense of togetherness or oneness with others.

Values That Start With V

Showing courage when facing difficulties.

Being able to plan for the future with imagination and wisdom.

Values That Start With W

Having good judgment based on knowledge and experience.

Appreciating the beauty and vastness of life and the universe.

Work-Life Balance

Balancing career demands with personal and family needs.

Values That Start With X

Valuing the act of being hospitable, especially to strangers or guests. In a world that sometimes feels disconnected or hostile, xeniality places importance on kindness and warm-heartedness toward those we may not know well.

Xeriscaping

This might seem specific, but in an age of environmental concern, valuing xeriscaping could mean you prioritize water conservation and sustainable gardening. You might live in an area where water is scarce, or you might simply want to reduce your environmental impact.

Values That Start With Y

Youthfulness.

Valuing youthfulness doesn't mean you're trying to stay forever young; rather, you value the qualities often associated with youth—like wonder, enthusiasm, curiosity, and an adventurous spirit.

This value speaks to the importance of compromise and letting go of your ego for the benefit of a relationship or group outcome. It doesn't mean you should give up on everything you believe in, but that you understand the importance of give-and-take.

Values That Start With Z

Approaching life with excitement and energy.

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35 Personal Values Examples

Personal values are the values that you hold dearest to your heart. They’re central to your sense of yourself as an ethical being.

We will often also call them our core values .

We develop our personal values from our cultural and social context. Our families, cultures, and societies give us values that are passed down from generation to generation.

Religion is another important place where people source their inspiration and values. Many religions encourage us to embrace personal values like charity, goodwill, and justice.

Personal Values Examples

1. Family – Family values are moral and ethical principles of typical family life, including sacrificing for loved ones, putting your loved ones first, and keeping your loved ones at the center of your thoughts and actions.

2. Loyalty – Loyalty might be a core personal value to you if you highly prize friends that are reliable and trustworthy. You might put your friends or chosen family first, always being there for them when they need you.

3. Compassion – A compassionate person is someone who prioritizes caring for others and feeling sympathetic for people in need of help and protection.

Related Article: 25 Humility Examples

4. Fairness – If you value fairness, you might be highly sensitive to situations at school or in the workplace where a teacher or a peer has exhibited favoritism or allowed someone to get away with living by a different set of rules to everyone else.

5. Honesty – You may highly value telling people the truth. This one gets tricky when being honest can be hurtful to others. So, a person who really puts honesty first might be the sort of person who will tell the truth even if it hurts to do so.

6. Generosity – This may be a core value of yours if you cherish people who will give their time and resources to people in need. You may consider yourself to be a generous person if you find joy and meaning in giving to others.

Related Article: 17 Best Adversity Examples

7. Integrity – Integrity is the quality of having strong moral principles. So, a person with integrity will always act with honesty and adhere to their own moral code regardless of what others do.

8. Perseverance – People who value perseverance will work through adversity and be determined to get a result. This is a great treat for employees and entrepreneurs alike.

9. Trustworthiness – A trustworthy person is someone who others can rely on to keep their commitments, maintain integrity when people aren’t looking, and keep the secrets of others. This might be valuable for a manger-level employee who is trusted with money-making decisions.

10. Courageousness – If you value courage, it means that you highly respect people who are willing to take risks and stand up for what they believe in even when the going gets tough.

11. Self-Discipline – If you value self-discipline, you might be a person who wakes up early, exercises daily, and doesn’t get distracted by vices.

12. Humility – You might highly value humility if you find yourself disgusted by people who are arrogant or braggadocious, and instead find yourself gravitating to people who are always expressing their gratefulness for the blessings in their life.

13. Kindness – If you value kindness, you’ll likely always be respectful of people around you, be gentle with criticism, and always willing to welcome people with open arms.

Related Article: 8 Types of Values

14. Individual Responsibility – If you value individual responsibility, you respect people who get up and work hard for what they’ve got, don’t ask for hand-outs, and will always expect higher of themselves.

15. Gratitude – You value gratitude if you find yourself respecting people who say please and thank you. If you’re a religious person who values gratitude, you may always insist on praying before eating your dinner.

16. Empathy – If you value empathy, you may find yourself gravitating toward people who can put themselves in the shoes of others. You, personally, may find yourself feeling for the sick or downtrodden and wanting to do something to help them.

17. Patience – A person who has patience as a core personal value is going to prioritize giving their time to others. They will sit down and be calm while waiting for others. This is a great trait for a teacher.

Related Article: Values in Sociology – Explained.

18. Open-Mindedness – An open-minded person is someone who is always willing to hear new points of view and even change their own point of view if new arguments are highly convincing. It’s the opposite of stubbornness.

19. Thoughtfulness – You may highly value people who are thoughtful. If this is you, then you might find yourself rolling your eyes at people who are full of bluster and never stop to reflect on their own actions.

20. Optimism – Some people are perpetual optimists. They value optimism , perhaps because by being optimistic, you are more willing to have a go at achieving even unattainable goals. You may also be more willing to persevere through hard times.

21. Altruism – If you highly value altruism, then you value people who do good deeds for the intrinsic value of those good deeds, and not in order to feel good about themselves or get something out of it.

22. Tolerance and Diversity – If you value tolerance and diversity , then you’re likely very comfortable with multiculturalism and want to encourage people to live and respect the wide variety of cultures and traditions that exist in modern society.

23. Forgiveness – Forgiveness is a central value in Christianity. It emphasizes the importance of redemption and getting a second chance. If this is a personal value of yours, then you likely don’t hold grudges and want to move forward and see the best of people in the future.

See Also: Personal Credo Examples

24. Being True to Yourself – This value is all about making sure people are not hiding who they really are in order to satisfy others. Instead, it thinks that humans flourish when they are living their best life.

25. Community – If you value community, then you are someone who might do a lot of volunteering and find meaning and purpose in being a member of a community group.

26. Social Justice – If social justice is central to your personal value set, then you likely want to see the oppressed and downtrodden get better treatment. You might advocate for fairness in your workplace and want to dedicate your time and resources to stamping out discrimination.

27. Dependability – If you value being dependable, then you might make sure you always turn up 5 minutes ahead of time so you’re never late and you never miss a deadline. If you say you’re going to do something, you will do it.

28. Work Ethic – Work ethic is a personal value that’s great to mention in an interview or CV. It means that you always put your head down and work your heart out to do a good job. You’ll never be found slacking off!

29. Respect – The value of respect reminds us that we should always be polite and caring for others. Even when someone disrespects us, we hold ourselves to higher regard and always treat people with the respect that we want to be treated with.

30. Compromise – The value of compromise is a very wise value. It involves recognizing that you will never get your own way, but by getting people together to reach an agreement, you can achieve great outcomes for all.

31. Playfulness – Playfulness is a value if you think it’s inherently important for living a good life. You might think that taking time off for relaxation and play is incredibly important for you, and that you’ll make sure you never let work take over life.

32. Pragmatism – A pragmatist values setting goals that are achievable. You’re the opposite of a dreamer. Instead, you have aspirations, but the most important thing to you is that you set yourself to tasks that you know can succeed at.

33. Environmentalism – Environmentalism may be a core value to you if you think it’s extremely important to care for the environment and natural world. It’s even more of a personal value if you act on it by limiting your waste, driving less, and buying ethical products.

34. Independence – Independence is important to you if you refuse to be tied to a job or a partner. Many modern-day women, for example, want to maintain their independent identity even while having a partner who they love.

35. Individual Liberty – If you value individual liberty, then you respect other people’s rights to make decisions for their own lives. It tries to ensure people don’t impose themselves on others. However, this rubs up against communitarian values where you need to do things for the greater good.

See Also: 65 Personal Identity Examples

Determining your Core Personal Values

When coming up with what your personal values framework, have a think about what’s important to you and what inspires you. Some sources can include:

1. What are your Family’s Values?

Our parents are the first people who teach us the difference between right and wrong. They lay the foundations for our lives by exposing us to stories that can help us build a moral framework, as well as exposing us to important influences like our church group or close family friends. Similarly, our siblings and cousins are often the first friends we have, and we learn right from wrong through playing with them.

2. What are your Religion’s Values?

Throughout history, societies have turned to religion for our values. Religious texts allow people to contemplate right from wrong and learn from a higher power about how we humans are expected to behave here on earth. Agnostic people may turn instead to philosophy for wise people who can teach us important lessons about right and wrong, and how to live a good life.

3. What are your Culture’s Values?

Each culture has a set of values around which it is oriented. We have western culture, for example, which values individual liberty and democracy. Similarly, in the United States, individual accountability is an important value. In societies like Denmark, care for the community is more heavily emphasized. You may embrace these sociocultural values as personal values if you find they resonate with you.

4. What are your Mentors’ Values?

There may be mentors in your life, such as teachers or coaches, who you admire for their wisdom and the way they behave. Reflect on why you respect them. Chances are, it’s because of the values they live by: respect, integrity, hard-work, or compassion.

5. Who are the People you Admire?

While a mentor might be a person in your life who you know personally, there may be other people you admire who are celebrities or politicians. For example, you might admire a sports star, actor, or philanthropist who is changing the world. Reflect on what values they have that make them admirable. This might be their work ethic that got them to the top, their humility in interviews, or their generosity in giving to the poor and needy.

6. What does Your Ideal World Look Like?

Reflect on the world you want. Consider what it looks like. It might have many of the values you embrace weaved into it. Your ideal world might be peaceful, compassionate, and fair. Or, it might be one full of wealth and pure meritocracy where the hard workers and people who take individual responsibility truly are the wealthiest and most successful of all.

Personal Values for a CV

The best personal values to include in a CV or resume are ones that demonstrate that you will be an excellent employee. For example, employers often want employees who:

• Have work ethic – This will show that you’re going to work very hard and not waste your employer’s money.
• Have integrity – This will show that you can be trusted, even when no one is looking.
• Value cooperation – In today’s workplaces, you need to work in teams to get jobs done. A person who works well in teams is a valuable asset to a company.
• Are optimistic – Your employer wants a positive person who will spread motivation and positivity around the workplace and to customers.

Go Deeper: Resume Skills Examples

Benefits of Clear Personal Value Sets

Having a clear value set has several important benefits . For example, it can help you to:

• Make decisions. If you know what you truly value, then you can use your values as a guide when making decisions – big and small! For example, it can help you make decisions about what career to go into (one that will help you exercise your values) or what to study at university.
• Work through difficulty. If you know who you are and what you value, then hard times are easier. You will have your values as a guiding star, reminding you to persevere and carry on through difficulty.
• Set goals. You’ll know what you value and what you want, meaning you will be able to identify exactly what you want out of a good life.
• Make social connections. By knowing who you are, you can gravitate to others who share your personal value set.

As you can see, there are many different personal values that can help shape our character and guide us through life as we interact with others, make decisions, and face challenges both large and small.

When telling others what your personal values are, make sure you state examples of personal values that are genuinely reflective of yourself, not just ones that you think sound good. People will know if you’ve not told the truth because you need to demonstrate and live by your personal values every day of your life.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

1 thought on “35 Personal Values Examples”

Thank you for the articles that you have written and shared. I just finished reading two on humility and 35 Personal Values. You write in a way that engages the reader. That is something that I would like to do one day. I have some writing helps, I just don’t know how to get started. It is a worry that I end up writing and it won’t be good enough for publication. Your article on 35 Examples of Humility was very eye-opening and informative. These articles have been so helpful. Again, thank you for teaching more on both subjects.

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Home / Essay Samples / Philosophy / Ethics / My Personal And Ethical Values

My Personal And Ethical Values

• Category: Philosophy , Psychology , Life
• Topic: Ethics , Morality , Values

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