UNDERSTANDING VALUES

DISCOVERING MY PERSONAL VALUES

V A L U E Sit is something a person prizes, cherishes, esteems…something he/she expresses consistently in his behavior.

• It is one’s principles, priorities or standards. Basis of our choice decision.

• It provides us a blueprint and direction in our lives (goal setting and decision making).

• No two values are the same. They are unique and exist only in you.

• There are no right or wrong values.• They are learned through exploration and free

choice.

3 Basic Kinds of Values

1. Ideals – beliefs, opinions, way of seeing things.

e.g. religion, politics, moral, artistic

2. Things – material objects, people, placese.g. money, loved ones, friends,

cars, clothes, etc.

3. Experiences – activities, events, actions, happenings.

e.g. playing sports, listening to music, being with

friends, seeing beautiful things.

TWO KINDS OF VALUESAccording to Rokeach, in his book titled

“The Nature of Human Values”

INSTRUMENTAL VALUES

TERMINAL VALUES

consist, primarily, of personal characteristic and character traits.

are those things that we can work toward or we think are most important and that we feel are most desirable.

VALUES CLARIFICATION INVOLVES…

CHOOSING FREELY

PRIZING

ACTING

• A person is what he expresses himself to be in freedom.

• Chosen from Alternatives…”MY CHOICE”.

• Chosen with the full knowledge of their consequences.

• Cherished and being happy with the choice because it brings certain growth in him/herself.

• Willing to affirm the choice publicly and be associated with it. (e.g. reputation)

• It must flow into the persons behavior (a reflection of his values).

• Acting is a test of whether one truly has a value or not.

• It becomes a pattern in the ways of his existence (the way he/she dresses, acts, behaves and in choosing friends).

HOW ARE VALUES DEVELOPED?

Values are formed, developed and changes through an intermingling of a person’s experiences in life. How we are exposed to the environment has a great impact on our formation.

Values do not remain static. They change over time depending on the gravity and significance of the related event in a person’s life, his age, sex, education, even race and status.