Your values are the higher motivations that, like an internal compass, guide your actions and influence your decisions. They allow you to lead a life aligned with your aspirations, by clearly distinguishing what is important to you from what is less so… What are your values?
A value is a deep conviction to which we are particularly attached. It’s an important benchmark that we use to make our decisions and to guide our actions.
Our values can come from our family background, our religion, our society and core beliefs and personal experiences that are deeply rooted in us. These are expressed naturally and meet essential needs.
The Schwartz model
The Israeli psychologist Shalom Schwartz developed, from 1992, a model which includes the 10 universal values that individuals recognize as fundamental in all cultures of the world.
For him, a value is a belief that relates to a purpose or desirable behavior. And for each individual, the values are ordered according to their importance as principles that guide his life.
His conception of values attributes to them 6 main features :
- These are beliefs inseparably associated with affects. People are alert or sad when their values are threatened and happy when they can exercise them.
- They relate to desirable goals that motivate action.
- They transcend specific actions and situationswhich distinguishes them from behaviors or norms.
- They serve as criteria to evaluate the actions of politicians, people and movements. We decide what is good or badjustified or illegitimate, depending on its values.
- They are listed in order of importance, relative to each other. A person’s values make them unique.
- All behavior necessarily implies more than one value. The trade-off between relevant and competing values is what guides each of us.
The 10 universal values
Schwartz defines each of the ten universal values by its overall purpose and common terms used to describe it. Let’s review them:
- Autonomy. This value refers to the objective of independence of thought and action: we choose, we create, we explore… The concepts associated with autonomy are creativity, freedom, choice of objectives, curiosity, independence, self-esteem, intelligence, respect for privacy…
- Stimulation. This value refers to the objective of seeking adventure, enthusiasm and new challenges to take up: we want to lead an exciting and varied life and we maintain a certain taste for risk… The notions associated with stimulation stem from the vital need variety and stimulation.
- Hedonism. This value refers to the objective of seeking sensual pleasure and personal gratification: we love life and we seek to please ourselves… The notions associated with hedonism come from the vital needs of human beings and the pleasure associated with their satisfaction.
- Success. This value refers to the objective of achieving personal success through skills recognized by society. The concepts associated with success are ambition, success, abilities, influence, intelligence, self-esteem, social recognition…
- Power. This value refers to the objective of obtaining a prestigious social status, controlling resources and dominating people. The concepts associated with power are authority, wealth, social power, protection of public image, social recognition…
- Security. This value refers to the objective of achieving greater safety, harmony and stability in society, in relations between groups and between individuals, and for oneself. The notions associated with security are social order, family security, national security, cleanliness, reciprocity of services rendered, good health, moderation, sense of belonging, etc.
- Compliance. This value refers to the objective of seeking moderation in one’s actions, tastes and preferences and controlling one’s impulses so as not to destabilize others or transgress social norms. The notions associated with conformity come from the need for individuals to inhibit desires that could hinder the proper functioning of interactions and the group: obedience, self-discipline, politeness, respect for parents and elders, loyalty, responsibility…
- Tradition. This value refers to the objective of showing respect, commitment and acceptance for the customs and ideas stemming from the culture or religion to which one is attached. The notions associated with tradition are respect, humility, religion, moderation, faith, accepting to do one’s part in life…
- Kindness. This value refers to the objective of preserving and improving the well-being of people with whom we frequently come into contact. The notions associated with benevolence come from the need for the group to function in harmony; support, honesty, indulgence, responsibility, loyalty, friendship, love, sense of belonging, search for meaning in life, spiritual life…
- Universalism. This value refers to the objective of showing understanding, esteem, tolerance for others and protecting the well-being of all and of nature. The notions associated with universalism come from the need for survival of individuals and groups: open-mindedness, social justice, equality, peace, beauty of the world, unity with nature, wisdom, respect for the environment, inner harmony, spiritual life…
In 2012, Schwartz and his team extended the list of 10 universal values to 19 to gain precision and introduce nuance into their model. We want to keep it simple so we don’t lose anyone along the way, but if the subject appeals to you, here’s a useful resource !
The structure of values
Besides identifying these 10 fundamental universal values, Schwartz describes the relationships of compatibility and antagonism that these values have with each other, in other words the structure of values. This structure stems from the fact that when one acts on a value, it has consequences that conflict with some values and are compatible with others.
This model of values is represented by a circular structure: the closer the values are, the more they share common motivations and are compatible. The further apart they are, the more they can come into conflict.
Two main dimensions sum up these relations of antagonism and compatibility:
- L’openness to change (combining autonomy, stimulation and hedonism) opposes the continuity (bringing together conformity and tradition).
- the transcendence (bringing together benevolence and universalism) opposes theassertiveness (bringing together power and success).
What are your values?
You can answer the question: “What are your values? by making your inventory of values here: Values Questionnaire
This is a free test and requires no registration. You just have to take about ten quiet minutes to answer a questionnaire of 40 questions. You can then view your value system according to Schwartz’s model and see a little more clearly about the hierarchy of your values.
This is a extension tool which constitutes a first useful step in a process of introspection to try to live in adequacy with its values.