How to determine your ultimate personal list of Core Values
What have your parents been teaching you as a child? Be honest? Be diligent, be compassionate. Maybe you have been raised by a family who puts emphasis on sharing, fun, family or freedom. Or perhaps your family was strict, expecting excellence and respect. Both families are neither good nor bad. They just have different core values. Different perceptions of life.
As we grow up we get input from various people. Our friends, our family, our teachers and even our favourite TV shows and our favourite kids books taught us values.
What’s been your favourite show? And what did it teach you about life?
Today’s post should help you define your own core values, which are super important in defining your goals later on. Let’s say your core value is stability and you want to become a freelancer who never knows when he or she gets paid. Or your core value is empathy and you want to become a psychologist. If your core values align with your goals it’s more likely that you will achieve them.
A Simple Core Value Exercise
1. Write down all the values you think you have. Use the following questions as a guide:
- Which values are important to you?
- When have you felt really happy, proud, or confident? Which values were at play?
- For additional values read the Schwartz theory of basic values explained down below!
- Or check the list of Core Values
2. Group all similar values.
3. Shorten your list to 3 to 5 values.
List of Core Values
To add theory to this small but interesting topic, the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values will be explained.
Shalom H. Schwartz is a social psychologist, cross-cultural researcher and
creator of the Theory of Basic Human Values – Wikipedia
The Schwartz Theory of Basic Values names the 6 main features of a value, but mostly it is known for its 10 broad values. The theory also includes the relationship between them.
Following this information, you will learn about core values and how they interact with each other. Additionally you will be inspired to think about your own values and how they impact your life. So let’s get started!
What are Values?
According to the Oxford dictionary, values are “principles or standards of behaviour; one’s judgement of what is important in life.”
This gives you a basic idea of what values are. To go into more detail according to Shalom H. Schwartz, values have six main features:
- Values are beliefs (which trigger emotions)
- Values refer to desirable goals
- Values transcend specific actions and situations
- Values serve as standards or criteria.
- Values are ordered by importance
- The relative importance of multiple values guides action.
You can read the full script here:
Lets say your value is performance: You always want to achieve the best possible outcome (goal). You work hard (action) and look – you get good results. So, you try even harder and harder. You feel proud and satisfied by what you accomplish (emotions). But then, one day you get the bad news. An F or a Failed project. For the first time in your career/school life you have failed. How did this happen? You feel devastated, frustrated or even angry (emotions)! So what will your next step be? You will take action! Ask for feedback and work harder. Why? Because it is one of your core values to excel.
Both situations are an indicator that performance is one of your values. If you perform well you feel good. But if your performance is poor you feel bad about yourself.
Let’s say learning is not one of your values. Learning by itself doesn’t really trigger emotions (except frustration maybe) You have no urge to study, why would you? It’s boring! In that case other values will drive you to study, like making your parents proud or honoring your superiors.
While all values have the above mentioned features, they differ, according to Schwartz in their motivations. As you know, there are many known values like forgiveness, justice, fame, religion etc.. Just some of them are grouped with the same goal. For example, forgiveness is a part of benevolence, while fame is connected to a motivation for power.
Broad Values by Schwartz' Theory of Basic Human Values
Schwartz, grouped values into “ten broad values according to the motivation that underlies each of them” Let me show you a quick summary:
“Self-Direction :independent thought and action–choosing, creating, exploring”
Includes values like: creativity, freedom, choosing own goals, curious, independent
“Stimulation : excitement, novelty, and challenge in life”
Includes values like: a varied life, an exciting life, daring
“Hedonism : pleasure or sensuous gratification for oneself”
Includes values like: pleasure, enjoying life, self-indulgent
“Achievement: personal success through demonstrating competence according to social standards”
Includes values like : ambitious, successful, capable, influential
“Power: social status and prestige, control or dominance over people and resources”
Includes values like: authority, wealth, social power, social recognition, preserving my public image
“Security :safety, harmony, and stability of society, of relationships, and of self”
Includes values like: social order, family security, national security, clean, reciprocation of favors, healthy, sense of belonging
“Conformity: restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses likely to upset or harm others and violate social expectations or norms”
Includes values like: obedient, self-discipline, politeness, honoring parents and elders
“Tradition :respect, commitment, and acceptance of the customs and ideas that one’s culture or religion provides”
Includes values like: respect for tradition, humble, devout, accepting my portion in life
“Benevolence :preserving and enhancing the welfare of those with whom one is in frequent personal contact “
Includes values like: helpful, honest, forgiving, responsible, true friendship, mature love
“Universalism understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of all people and for nature”
Includes values like: broadminded, social justice, equality, world at peace, world of beauty, unity with nature, wisdom, protecting the environment
You are probably wondering: Why are we learning about all of this if we could just look up random values online and scribble them down? The more detailed you work, the more you will get out of it.
But let me show you what Schwartz also included in his writing:
The relationship between Values:
The Structure of Value Relations (Source: Schwartz S.H., 2012)
Self Direction,Stimulation and Hedonism are a part of being open to change. While security, conformity and tradition are part of being conservative. Did you know that people with fixed mindsets are more conservative? Which core values do you think have a role in this? (Don’t worry about fixed or growth mindset they will come at a later point of time! Just a food for thought here)
Schwartz also explains that Self-Enhancement and Conservative Values have a connection to “ anxiety, prevention of loss and Self-protection against threat”. While, on the other hand, Openness to change and Self-Transcendence are values related to being “Anxiety free”, or have to do with “ Promotion of Gain, Self-expansion and Growth)
The Schwartz theory can help us define values for our goals. You want to be more open to change? Concentrate on Stimulation, Self-Direction, Or maybe you want to become a better you? Then concentrate on Self Enhancement Values instead! Swap some of the previously conditioned values for more useful ones
Core Value Exercise Part 2:
Grab your previous paper and a pen and start adding your new core value ideas. You can use Schwartz’ header values as a guideline.
- Think about what core values you have right now
- Rank them by current importance
- Write down which core values you want to have
- Cross out some values that aren’t useful
If you need a source of (a huge list of) values: click here.
Setting your core values can have a huge difference in life. You will finally see why some situations make you feel a certain emotion or react a certain way. Knowing your values can help you make decisions in life such as your career or family choices. They can also help you to declutter life or end relationships that make you more sad than happy.
It is important to learn about your core values as they have a lot of impact on your actions and decisions, but for now we’re gonna stop here. I hope this post helped you to get a clearer view of your values.
Have a great week and see you in the next lesson!
Awesome post.
Thank you so much 🙂