values meaning essay

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 .

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How to Find, Define, and Use Your Values

• Irina Cozma

Your values should reflect the most important aspects of your life.

There’s so much power in understanding what your values are — they can help you make decisions, guide your career, and even live a happier life. But how can you think about your values in an intentional way?

• Step 1: Find your values. Your values aren’t hiding. Even if you haven’t vocalized them, they’re a reflection of the most important aspects of your life. To identify yours, reflect on what’s important to you, create a list of the top three things, and rank them if you can.
• Step 2: Define your values. Write down what each of the values you identified really means to you, and try to keep your definition as short as possible — you want to be able to easily remember your values and how you define them. Ask yourself: If somebody were to wake me in the middle of the night and ask me to define my values, could I answer?
• Step 3: Use your values. You’ll know you have identified your values and truly defined them once you find yourself looking at the world around you through the framework of your values. One way to practice using your values is to reflect on a situation that’s frustrating you. Ask yourself: What is lurking behind my frustration? Is one of my values not being met?

What are your values?

• Irina Cozma , Ph.D., is a career and executive coach who supports professionals to have better career adventures. She coached hundreds of Fortune 500 executives from global organizations like Salesforce, Hitachi, and Abbott. Irina also coaches startups and the Physicians MBA at the University of Tennessee. Download her free career guide to help you prepare for your next career adventure.

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Essay on Values for Students and Children

500+ words essay on values.

Importance of Values

For an individual, values are most important. An individual with good values is loved by everyone around as he is compassionate about others and also he behaves ethically.

Values Help in Decision Making

A person is able to judge what is right and what is wrong based on the values he imbibes. In life at various steps, it makes the decision-making process easier. A person with good values is always likely to make better decisions than others.

Values Can Give Direction to Our Life

In life, Values give us clear goals. They always tell us how we should behave and act in different situations and give the right direction to our life. In life, a person with good values can take better charge.

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Values Can Build Character

If a person wants a strong character, then he has to possesses good values such as honesty , loyalty, reliability, efficiency, consistency, compassion, determination, and courage. Values always help in building our character.

Values Can Help in Building a Society

If u want a better society then people need to bear good values. Values play an important role in society. They only need to do their hard work, with compassion, honesty, and other values. Such people will help in the growth of society and make it a much better place to live.

Characteristics of Values

Values are always based on various things. While the basic values remain the same across cultures and are intact since centuries some values may vary. Values may be specific to a society or age. In the past, it was considered that women with good moral values must stay at home and not voice their opinion on anything but however, this has changed over time. Our culture and society determine the values to a large extent. We imbibe values during our childhood years and they remain with us throughout our life.

Family always plays the most important role in rendering values to us. Decisions in life are largely based on the values we possess. Values are permanent and seldom change. A person is always known by the values he possesses. The values of a person always reflect on his attitude and overall personality.

The Decline of Values in the Modern Times

While values are of great importance and we are all aware of the same unfortunately people these days are so engrossed in making money and building a good lifestyle that they often overlook the importance of values. At the age when children must be taught good values, they are taught to fight and survive in this competitive world. Their academics and performance in other activities are given importance over their values.

Parents , as well as teachers, teach them how to take on each other and win by any means instead of inculcating good sportsman spirit in them and teaching them values such as integrity, compassion, and patience. Children always look up to their elders as their role models and it is unfortunate that elders these days have a lack of values. Therefore the children learn the same.

In order to help him grow into a responsible and wise human being, it is important for people to realize that values must be given topmost priority in a child’s life because children are the future of the society. There can be nothing better in a society where a majority of people have good values and they follow the ethical norms.

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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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• Values Essay

Essay on Values

Values are principles or moral standards that define someone’s behavior and judgment about what is important in life. Human society cannot sustain itself if there are no values instilled in humans. They are the essence of our personality and influence us to make decisions, deal with people and organize our time and energy in our social and professional life. Values differ greatly among individuals. The character of each person is shaped by the set of values he cherishes. Along with our academic courses, we are also educated to follow certain values throughout life. This value-oriented education helps us to develop the temper of our mind, compassion in our heart, cooperation with others, tolerance towards others, respect for the culture of other groups, etc. Helpfulness, honesty, self-discipline are all examples of personalized values.

Inculcate Values from Childhood

People learn most of their values in the early years of their life from those they see around them. Children absorb these values from their parents and teachers. Families and educators play a crucial role in building values in children and students as they see them as role models. One can also learn about the morals of the good life from the holy and religious books. Childhood and the teenage period is the most crucial phase in a person’s life because it is at this time that one cultivates most of his normal principles or values. Human values are formed by different stages and incidents in one’s life, especially in teenage and college life. Education without values tends to make a man miserable. Hence, it becomes of the utmost importance to impart correct and positive values among children and students. 

Diminishing of Values in Modern Times

In modern times, people have become extremely self-centered and have forgotten their instincts. They run behind success and want to win at any cost. It has become a rat race and humans have become mechanical like robots without feelings and values. They have become heartless and lack morals. Success may come to us but in the end, we do not feel a sense of fulfillment because of the lack of values within us. It is very important to taste success in life by keeping values at the top of anything else. This will give us joy from the inside that can never be destroyed. Values such as sharing, patience, hard work, curiosity, politeness, kindness, integrity, and other good behavioral attitudes help us to get through in life. These positive instincts will bring true success in life. One can never feel happiness and peace if one tries to build a castle at the cost of someone else’s happiness. Good nature never allows one to perform under pressure or greed. It is important to have a sharp and bright mind but it is far more important to have a good heart. 

Importance of Values in Life

Value creation is an ongoing process. It also means amending one’s wrong behavior. Schools and colleges must conduct regular counselling sessions and moral education classes to help in this regard. Apart from this, since early childhood, parents and guardians should talk about the importance of values with their children. 

Teaching children to help in household activities, making them share their toys and other stuff with their siblings, teaching them to respect their grandparents, etc., help in inculcating some most important values like patience and sharing among them. 

Participation in school activities like organizing events, doing group projects results in students learning values like adjustment, cooperation, perseverance and tolerance. There are also values fundamental to identifying one’s culture. 

Values Important for Society

As human values play a vital role in society, they are regarded as the basis for human beings to lead better life. Hence, the importance of values in a civilized society is immense. People with the right values in life will be a pillar for the development of society and the nation. They will not only go in the right direction themselves but will also teach others to do the same. With the right beliefs and values, one can make the right decisions in life. Being humble, empathetic towards others, self-discipline, having courage and integrity will not help one to climb the ladder of success but also make one strong so that he can make breakthroughs in all obstacles and challenges in life.

An individual's values determine the decisions that he or she makes. Using these opposing things as a basis, an individual must choose between two things. The life of someone with good values is always prosperous, whereas a person with bad values is a liability to society. Individuals' values are shaped by the schools they attend, their parents, their homes, colleagues, and friends.

A child can be made into a good person by being molded and motivated. If one were to follow such a path, they would be prevented from engaging in corrupt practices. This prevents him or her from leading an unethical life. This gives him or her a deeper understanding of what is right and wrong. In an ideal world, a person should have all moral values in place, be disciplined, and have good manners. Life in an ideal world would be simple. Life is rich and luxurious in that respect.

Values should be instilled from a Young Age

Most people learn their values from the people around them in the first few years of their lives. Parents and teachers help instill these values in children. Educators and parents play an important role in the development of values in students, as the latter view them as role models. The holy and religious books can also instruct the reader about good morals. During childhood and adolescence, a person forms the majority of the values that she or he uses in everyday living. Values are formed by different phases and incidents in a person's life, especially as they develop in the teenage and college years. Man can become miserable without values. Educating children and students about correct and positive values becomes extremely important. 

Values have diminished in Modern Times

Modern society has become extremely self-centered and has forgotten its instincts. Success is the ultimate goal, and they will do anything to win. People are becoming more robotic and valueless like robots, and they have turned into a rat race. Their morals have become skewed and they have become heartless. Even if we achieve success, we may not feel fulfilled because we lack moral values. Keeping values at the top of our priorities is vital for tasteful success in life. Doing so will give us inner happiness that we can never lose. In life, values like supporting each other, being patient, hardworking, curious, being polite, being kind, being honest, being true, and having integrity will help us succeed. We must apply these traits to succeed in the world of work. Building a castle at the expense of the happiness of others will never bring happiness and peace. It is inconceivable for a good-natured person to perform under pressure or greed. The richness of a good heart far outweighs the importance of a sharp and bright mind.

Values are Important in Life

The process of creating value is ongoing. To create value, one must also rectify undesirable behavior. Counseling programs and moral education classes in schools and colleges are helpful in this respect. Moreover, parents and guardians need to talk to their children about values from early childhood. 

Children are taught some very important values including sharing and patience by helping with household chores, sharing their toys and other belongings with their siblings, respecting their grandparents, etc. 

Students learn values such as adjustment, cooperation, perseverance, and tolerance through school activities such as organizing events, doing group projects. Cultural values are also essential to understanding oneself. 

Society's Values

Considering that human values are regarded as a basis for achieving a better quality of life, they are considered an essential part of society. A civilized society, therefore, places great importance on values. In order to develop society and the country, people should have the right values in their lives. Those who follow the right course will not only lead themselves in the right direction but will also instruct others. Making the right choices in life is possible with the right beliefs and values. The attributes of humility, empathy, self-discipline, courage, and integrity not only enable one to succeed in life but will also help one to overcome obstacles and develop resilience in the face of challenges.

Values as Characteristics

The value of something is always determined by many factors. Although some values might differ from culture to culture, some values have remained intact for centuries. Cultures and eras may have different values. Women with moral values were previously considered to be expected to stay at home and not express their opinions, but this has changed over time. Values are largely determined by culture and society. Our childhood years are the time when we imbibe values that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

When it comes to valuing something, the family is our top priority. Our values influence our choices in life. They are rarely altered. You can always tell who someone is by the values they possess. An individual's personality and attitude are constantly determined by his values.

We learn about some good and bad actions through education, but we learn how to distinguish between them by virtue of values. An educational experience should be as rich in moral values and character as possible. Education filled with values can empower a student to become virtuous. With values-laden education, poverty, corruption, and unemployment can be eliminated while social ills are banished. Having high values instills self-motivation and helps a person progress in the right direction. 

Respect for elders, kindness, compassion, punctuality, sincerity, honesty and good manners are important values. Little ones are often seen throwing rocks and garages at animals, pelting stones at animals on the roadside, teasing animals, and bullying their friends and younger siblings. They might ultimately commit big crimes in the future if no steps are taken to check on these activities.

People with high moral values are respected in society. That contributes to their spiritual development. Valuable characteristics define a person as a whole. The path of righteousness motivates people to reach their goals by following all good values. A person is also responsible for instilling values in the upcoming generations. It is important that people never stray from their morals and always motivate others to pay attention to the same. 

Education teaches about good and bad actions while values help us to differentiate between them. Real education should come with moral values and character. Education with values can lead a person to the path of virtue. Education laden with values can help to eradicate poverty, corruption, and unemployment and remove social ills. A person can be self-motivated and advance in the right direction only when he is instilled with high values. 

FAQs on Values Essay

1. What Do You Understand By Values?

Values are principles or moral standards that define someone’s behaviour and judgment about what is important in life.

2. How Can Parents and Teachers Help Children to Learn Values of Life?

Parents and teachers must teach children about values of life with their own life experiences. They should discuss the moral values taught in the holy and religious books. Teaching them to help each other by doing household chores, sharing toys and other stuff with their siblings and respecting their elders and grandparents will inculcate good values in their lives. Participation in school activities like organizing events, doing group projects result in students learning values like adjustment, cooperation, perseverance and tolerance.

3. What are the Behavioural Attitudes a Man Must Have?

A man must have humility, empathy, courage, integrity, kindness, perseverance, and self-discipline as behavioural attitudes.

4. How is Value Important for Society?

People with the right values in life will be a pillar for the development of society and the nation. They will not only go in the right direction themselves but will also teach others to do the same. With the right beliefs and values, one can make the right decisions in life. Being humble, empathetic towards others, self-discipline, having courage and integrity will not help one to climb the ladder of success but also make one strong so that he can make breakthroughs in all obstacles and challenges in life.

5. How can We inculcate Values into Young Children in Five Innovative Ways?

Children can be inculcated with values in five innovative ways:

Show movies and pictures that inspire.

Organizing.

Providing the opportunity for Service.

A self-reflection exercise.

Observation. 

6. What are the Most Important Values that Need to be Taught to Children?

Be respectful of elders.

A willingness to sacrifice.

Education is of great importance.

Love for the family.

The ability to persevere.

Embrace the spirit of religion.

The act of being charitable.

The ability to be honest.

Being self-disciplined can be rewarding.

 7. What is the Secret to Becoming Courageous?

A willingness to take on difficult tasks in challenging circumstances. A person's courage can be measured by how they deal with fear in difficult or unpleasant situations. Under unfavorable circumstances, it is about facing agony and pain with bravery. In order for this habit to be successful, children must also be involved.

8. How does it Result in a Prosperous Society?

Growing physically and intellectually.

A society free of crime is possible.

Social development.

A boon for the nation.

Make the world a better place.

Eradicating social ills.

• Career Advice
• Carpe Careers

Integrating Values Into Your Career

By  Laura N. Schram

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While in graduate school, I participated in a learning community of graduate student teaching consultants at my campus’s teaching center. We consulted with graduate student peers across the campus on their teaching and engaged in dialogue about our consulting practices. Our group’s facilitator and mentor -- Mary Wright , now director of the Sheridan Center of Teaching and Learning at Brown University -- designed a range of professional development activities for us to grow as reflective teachers.

One of her activities, designed as a process to help us uncover our teaching philosophies, was transformational for my career development. We brought our draft teaching philosophy statements to one of our learning community meetings, but rather than exchanging them to share feedback, we began with a generative interviewing exercise Wright created. It involved partnering with a colleague and taking turns playing the role of interviewer.

My interviewer asked me several questions that solicited storytelling about my teaching -- for example, she asked me to share a memory of my favorite student -- and she then actively listened to my responses and took careful notes. After the interview concluded, she spent several minutes processing and responding to a series of prompts that required her to integrate my answers and analyze what she as an interviewer heard about me as a teacher. One of those prompts asked my interviewer to tell me what I enjoy most about teaching, and she informed me that I was most energized by the one-on-one interactions with my students. She asserted that I most appreciate coaching, advocating, mentoring and watching an individual student’s long-term growth.

I was shocked to hear that -- I had not at all articulated it in my teaching philosophy. But her insight resonated very deeply with me. As I imagined the contexts in which I most frequently was supporting and advocating for others, I realized that I engaged in coaching in my teaching center work, significantly more than my disciplinary teaching. That sparked the beginning of my serious pursuit of educational development as a career path.

Why was that such a pivotal moment for me? Because my interviewer had uncovered a core professional value of which I was not conscious.

In my work at the University of Michigan, I now coordinate our Rackham Program in Public Scholarship and help students explore diverse career options. As I was, the students with whom I work are strongly motivated by their core values. And I expect that if you are someone pursuing a doctoral degree, you selected your field of graduate study because your scholarship aligned not just with your academic interests but also with some fundamental personal values or intellectual commitments that you hold.

What Do I Mean by Values?

I studied political psychology as a graduate student, so when I refer to values, I do not mean the Merriam-Webster definition of “relative worth, utility or importance,” but rather the way that social psychologist Daphna Oyserman defines them in her chapter “Values, psychological perspectives” in the International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences , as “internalized cognitive structures that guide choices by evoking a sense of basic principles of right and wrong (e.g., moral values), a sense of priorities (e.g., personal achievement vs. group good) and that create a willingness to make meaning and see patterns (e.g., trust vs. distrust).”

Values are your priorities that guide your choices and help you to make meaning of your experiences; your core value is the thing or things you see as your mission in life. Sylvia Gale , director of University of Richmond’s Bonner Center for Civic Engagement and founding director of Imagining America’s Publicly Active Graduate Education Initiative , advises you to identify your core value by asking yourself what your “central commitment” is or “the thing that you are for .” As I will describe below, she has developed a deep reflection activity that starts with your identifying what you stand for and then mapping how that is central to your professional roles.

Much of the conversation -- and even my own advice -- about career exploration focuses on skills and the importance of identifying your own skills. However, as professionals, we often don’t take the time to step back and think about our values and how they connect to our skills and play a role in our professional lives. Integrating your values into the center of your career exploration process can help you to crystallize the roles that most align with not just your skills but also with what motivates you at a deeper level.

For example, in my most recent career shift, I was invited to take on a new role that involves advocating for doctoral students interested in a range of career options. I had not even been looking for a new opportunity, as I was deeply satisfied in my work as an educational developer supporting faculty members and graduate students. At that time, I articulated my core value as coaching others in their teaching. Yet I was drawn to this role supporting doctoral students exploring multiple careers particularly because, as a doctoral student myself, I had not found adequate resources to explore careers beyond the traditional faculty path. I began interrogating my core values and how they connected to my skills. Did I like consulting and coaching about teaching? Or would I enjoy consulting and coaching about career development just as much? Did I have other commitments to which this role was drawing me?

For example, after participating in our teaching center’s organizational change effort to place value on teaching on a research university campus , did I want to now apply my skills to rethinking how we prepare doctoral students for their career possibilities? The questions that ultimately guided my decision about which role I wanted to pursue weren’t simply focused on my skills -- they were focused on how my skills connected to deeper commitments.

Gaining Clarity on Values

In any career exploration or job search, I suggest reflection before, during and after new professional experiences. Reflection on experiences plays an integral role in helping you to gain clarity on your goals, values and next steps. If you are currently engaged in career exploration, spending some time reflecting on your values can transform your process and change what you decide to do.

First, you want to discover your core value(s), about which you may already have a strong sense or -- as in my case as a midcareer graduate student -- you may not have full clarity. While reflection on powerful questions can help with affirming your values, it is difficult to surface unconscious values on your own. Generative interviewing is a good activity for affirming or revealing your values in conversation with a colleague. Melissa Peet describes generative interviewing in her 2010 article “The Integrative Knowledge Portfolio Process: A Program Guide for Educating Reflective Practitioners and Lifelong Learners” as a process of discovery that happens through “a series of guided questions and prompts that support people in telling detailed stories about their experiences.”

Although you may not be trained in the formal method of generative interviewing, you can take insights from the generative interviewing framework and use its technique of asking powerful questions and telling stories to help you identify your core professional values. Take a colleague who is also interested in their own professional development to coffee, and conduct the following interview process with each other. Your colleague should play the role of interviewer and ask these questions:

• What was your proudest moment professionally?
• What led you to pursue your scholarly interest(s)?
• What was a pivotal moment for you as a professional?
• Who is a mentor to you, and what is one example of when this person transformed or shaped you professionally?

Your partner should actively listen and take notes. After you’ve shared your stories, give your partner time to process, synthesize and look for themes in your responses to these four powerful questions. Then, your colleague should share a value affirmation with you, mirroring back to you a response to this statement: your professional commitment is _____________. They should use examples from your stories as evidence to illustrate how they integrated your responses to identify your core value(s). Then swap roles and interview your partner so they can also benefit from the process.

Whether you engage in generative interviewing or not, if you have a clear sense of your core value(s), Gale has designed a second transformative reflection exercise that begins with focusing on your “central commitment.” This exercise is designed to map and connect your central commitment with the various roles, activities and projects in which you engage, and her chapter in Collaborative Futures: Critical Reflections on Publicly Active Graduate Education outlines each reflection step of this exercise carefully.

You begin with placing what you stand for/your central commitment at the center of a large, blank piece of paper. Around this central commitment, you place your current professional roles, then the roles you hope to take on and finally those that don’t connect to your central commitment. For each of these, you use some visual way to distinguish them from one another -- whether that is a different color or different types of lines or shapes. Then you engage in identifying priorities and connections, as well as pressures and disconnections.

The University of Michigan has employed Gale’s activity in several professional development programs. Students find it incredibly transformative in helping them to see the associations and gaps between their professional work and their core values. One student even said that, several years after he did the exercise, he keeps the drawing he created pinned on his wall as a reminder of his central commitments and the types of professional roles he would like to pursue. As I noted earlier, values help to guide your choices and make meaning of patterns, and this student found the drawing he created was a constant visual reminder of what he prioritizes and how he makes meaning across his varied projects.

If you are seeking an in-depth, holistic reflection exercise to assess how you integrate your values, skills and professional activities, I encourage you to set aside an hour to invest in Gale’s powerful activity. Her chapter is a wonderful narrative about her professional development as a publicly engaged scholar and the process by which she came to design this activity.

Career Exploration as a Value-Driven Process

Identifying and placing your core value(s) at the center of your career exploration process can help you to make more meaningful connections between your skills and career interests. The two reflection activities described above are designed to help you gain clarity on your distinct professional values. They are transformative because knowing what you stand for as a professional can help you to make meaning of how your many professional pursuits are integrated, to prioritize your work and to make decisions about what professional opportunities you want to pursue.

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What are your values, do some exercises to better understand which values matter most to you..

Posted November 1, 2021 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

A value can be defined as "an enduring belief upon which a person acts." Values are similar to attitudes and beliefs in that they have cognitive, emotional, and behavioral parts. But researchers suggest that values are more enduring and long-lasting than either beliefs or attitudes (Limthanakom, Lauffer, Mujtaba, & Murphy Jr, 2008).

The Two Types of Values

There are thought to be two different types of values: instrumental values and terminal values.

• Instrumental values are about desirable ways to act or behave (e.g., honest, responsible, loving).
• Terminal values are about desirable end states (e.g., health, freedom, family security; Gibson, Greenwood, & Murphy Jr, 2009).

Some of us prefer one type of value over the other (Allen, Ng, & Wilson, 2002). But we all have both of these types of values that guide our lives to some extent.

Why Values Matter

Our values have a big influence on how we act. Acting in ways that go against our values doesn’t make us feel great. So, we generally try to be consistent with our values. In fact, shifting our values in small ways can shift our actions.

For example, one study showed that priming people with achievement values increased their success at completing a puzzle but made them less helpful to the experimenter. The value of achievement led them to act in ways that seemed likely to support achievement. But another study showed that priming people with a benevolence value decreased their success at the puzzle and increased their helpfulness (Maio, Pakizeh, Cheung, & Rees, 2009).

This suggests it can be really helpful to get clear on our values. If we know what’s driving us then we’ll better understand why we do the things we do.

There are tons of values to choose from. So how do you know which ones yours are? One way to find out is by ranking them from most important to least important. Start with some introspection : ask yourself if you hold any of the following values. Then for the values that you do have, rank them from most important to least important. (Feel free to add any values you have that are missing from the list).

List of Values

• Cooperation
• Self-Discipline
• Perseverance
• Healthy Relationships
• Spirituality
• Responsibility
• Open-Mindedness
• Authenticity
• Recognition

Try to get your list down to your top three to four values. Also, try to make sure that these values represent different parts of yourself.

Act On Your Values

To make each of your values actionable, add a verb to it. In other words, describe how you will live each of your values.

• For example, if your value is “​love,” what will your action be? It could be to "practice loving-kindness ," "show love," or even "receive love with acceptance."
• If your value is “growth,” your actions might be to "try new things" or "take online courses."
• If your value is “fun,” your actions might be to "spend time with friends," or "fill your day with activities."

Not all values are easy to add a verb to, so just do your best. This can help you feel like you’re in alignment with your values, live your values, and boost your well-being.

Adapted from an article published by The Berkeley Well-Being Institute .

Allen, M. W., Ng, S. H., & Wilson, M. (2002). A functional approach to instrumental and terminal values and the value‐attitude‐behaviour system of consumer choice. European journal of Marketing.

Gibson, J. W., Greenwood, R. A., & Murphy Jr, E. F. (2009). Generational differences in the workplace: Personal values, behaviors, and popular beliefs. Journal of Diversity Management (JDM), 4(3), 1-8.

​​Limthanakom, N., Lauffer, W., Mujtaba, B. G., & Murphy Jr, E. F. (2008). The Ranking Of Terminal And Instrumental Values By Working Professionals In Thailand, Singapore And The United States: What Is Important And How Do They Impact Decision-Making? International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER), 7(4).

Maio, G. R., Pakizeh, A., Cheung, W. Y., & Rees, K. J. (2009). Changing, priming, and acting on values: effects via motivational relations in a circular model. Journal of personality and social psychology, 97(4), 699.

Tchiki Davis, Ph.D. , is a consultant, writer, and expert on well-being technology.

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The Variety of Values: Essays on Morality, Meaning, and Love

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Most people, both in academia and in public culture, tend to classify values in terms of a dichotomy that contrasts the egoistic with the altruistic, the personal with the impersonal, the self-interested with the moral. This ignores or distorts the significance of such values as love, beauty, and truth, and neglects the importance of meaningfulness as a dimension of the good life. Recognizing the variety of values, the chapters here argue, should affect the way we think about the structure and content of morality as well as the way we conceptualize happiness and well-being. This volume includes important chapters on the topics of morality, love, and meaning, ranging from the classic “Moral Saints” to the more recent “The Importance of Love.”

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Essay on Importance of Human Values

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Human Values in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Human Values

Understanding human values.

Human values are fundamental beliefs that guide our actions and behavior. They include honesty, respect, kindness, and responsibility. These values are important as they help us differentiate between right and wrong.

Role in Society

Values keep society functioning smoothly. They promote peace, unity, and cooperation among individuals. Without values, conflicts and misunderstandings would be rampant.

Personal Development

Values guide personal growth. They shape our character and influence our decisions. By adhering to values, we become better individuals and contribute positively to our community.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Human Values

Introduction.

Human values are the very essence of our character and nature. They are vital for harmonious coexistence and are the foundation of every civilized society. They guide our actions, decisions, and interactions with others.

Role of Human Values

Human values and education.

Incorporating human values in education is imperative. It instills a sense of responsibility and ethics in students, preparing them to face the challenges of life with dignity and courage. It also encourages critical thinking and helps students understand the consequences of their actions.

Values in Society

Values are the glue that holds society together. They promote social cohesion and unity, foster peace and harmony, and enhance social well-being. They also serve as a guide to societal norms and expectations, helping to maintain order and stability.

In conclusion, human values are fundamental to our existence. They determine our actions, shape our character, and define our identity. They are the bedrock of a peaceful and prosperous society. As we navigate through life, it is essential that we uphold these values and pass them on to future generations.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Human Values

Human values are the principles, standards, or qualities considered worthwhile or desirable. They provide a foundation for human behavior, actions, and decisions. In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, the importance of human values cannot be overstated. This essay will delve into the significance of human values, their role in society, and their influence on our personal and professional lives.

The Role of Human Values in Society

Human values play a pivotal role in the formation and functioning of society. They act as the glue that binds individuals together, fostering unity, harmony, and cooperation. Values such as respect, honesty, compassion, and fairness promote social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. They enable us to understand and respect the rights, dignity, and freedom of others, thereby reducing conflicts and enhancing social stability.

Human Values and Personal Development

Human values in professional life.

In the professional sphere, human values are integral to ethical business practices and corporate social responsibility. Values such as honesty, transparency, and accountability foster trust, enhance reputation, and contribute to sustainable business growth. They also promote a positive organizational culture, leading to increased employee engagement, productivity, and innovation.

Human Values and Global Challenges

In the face of global challenges such as climate change, poverty, inequality, and social injustice, human values such as solidarity, empathy, and respect for diversity are more important than ever. They compel us to take collective action for the common good, promote social justice, and strive for sustainable development.

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The Variety of Values: Essays on Morality, Meaning, and Love

Susan Wolf,  The Variety of Values: Essays on Morality, Meaning, and Love , Oxford University Press, 2015, 263pp., $45.00 (pbk), ISBN 9780195332810.

Reviewed by Sara Protasi, University of Puget Sound

Few essays evoke the same enthusiastic praise for their combination of rigorous reasoning, elegant writing style and influential thesis as Susan Wolf's "Moral Saints." [1] Its placement as the inaugural piece in this collection allows one to see that it is not only chronologically but also conceptually prior to Wolf's subsequent essays. It contains the seeds, in Wolf's own metaphor, from which sprouted an impressively cohesive collection of arguments concerning the forcefulness and inescapability of moral demands, and the significance and resilience of nonmoral values.

In the introduction, with a mixture of humility and pride, Wolf calls attention to the systematic nature of these thirteen articles (only one of which is previously unpublished), and details the connections among them. She highlights central, recurrent ideas and explains how the essays relate to the original themes of "Moral Saints," namely how there is more to value than morality, how moral considerations may be less forceful than moral philosophers have often portrayed them, and how different value reasons can pull us in opposite directions. The first part of the book, "Moral and Nonmoral Values," focuses on the nature and importance of nonmoral values, and their relation to moral ones. The connected topic of the structure and importance of morality is discussed in part 4, "The Concept of Duty." In the middle, part 2 ("Meaning in Life") explores the topic of meaningfulness, and part 3 discusses "Love".

Wolf devotes the final section of the introduction to the cover of the book, which features a still life by Willem Heda, the Dutch painter, depicting the remains of a luscious feast. Wolf tells us that she appreciates the Dutch Golden Age genre because of its rich textures, and one cannot help but think of the rich textures of her philosophical writing. Wolf explains that she is attracted by what she considers these paintings' characteristic "ambivalence and ambiguity" (8): in the Calvinist context where they were produced and sold, sensual pleasures and appreciation of material goods were condemned, and still lifes were allegories of transience, warnings against appreciating things that are doomed to decay. But the paintings themselves are magnificent objects, and their melancholic message is obfuscated, contradicted, and possibly nullified by the very means with which it is conveyed.

Wolf is here pointing to a tension that infuses all the essays, one way or the other: the tension between moral demands ("don't value material goods!") and the demands of beauty, of taste, and, in general, of nonmoral value. She constantly shows us how decent, well-rounded agents cannot, and should not, always wholeheartedly comply with their moral obligations, for two reasons. First, because nonmoral values are intrinsically important, and Wolf convincingly articulates this importance throughout the book, highlighting the shallowness of the dichotomy morality vs. self-interest that was characteristic of moral philosophy when "Moral Saints" was published. Second, because morality cannot keep its irreplaceable role of requiring us to take into account the needs and interests of others, if it is too demanding. When we conceive of morality as overriding every other practical consideration, people will not have "the freedom to live lives that they can find to be good and rewarding" (228) and will be less inclined to respect moral imperatives.

Notwithstanding her commitment to the plurality of values, however, Wolf ends up neglecting some crucial aspects of what is symbolized in her beloved Dutch Golden Age paintings: our embodied, emotional nature, our being subject to impulses and unendorsed habits, our being attuned to and appreciative of simple pleasures, such as the pleasures of the table that are the subject of Heda's still lifes.

To start with this last point: Wolf rarely talks in positive terms about the more mundane kinds of nonmoral values that occupy a central role in most people's lives. For instance, in "Good-for-Nothings" (ch. 5), she rejects a welfarist theory of value, arguing that there can be things that are good independently of the fact that they benefit us: "These things are not good because they benefit us; they benefit us because they are good" (76). Her examples of good things are: reading Middlemarch , watching The Wire , practicing the cello, training for a marathon, appreciating seventeenth century Dutch paintings, and more generally "good art, good philosophy, good science" (73). She explicitly contrasts these activities and pursuits with less valuable counterparts: reading The Da Vinci Code , watching Project Runway , and playing Angry Birds.

Wolf's examples of good things are well-chosen to resonate with her audience of professional philosophers in the Anglophone tradition, in its current demographic make-up. Extending Wolf's point to different cultural and socio-economic contexts seems relatively straightforward. For instance, we could talk of reading the Mahabharata , watching Taiwanese puppetry shows, practicing the djembe. However, this expansion would leave unaltered the most significant feature of Wolf's examples: they are all meant to be expressions of excellence . After saying that art, philosophy, and science are among the "things of immeasurable value" (76) with which the world is replete, and that "we may think of our lives as better, and more fortunate, insofar as we are able to be in appreciative touch with some of the most valuable of these" (76), Wolf goes on to say that "a good human life involves 'enjoyment of the excellent'" (77). But having immeasurable value is not the same as being excellent, and treating them as equivalent has two consequences.

First, it makes one more likely to overlook admittedly less complex sources of values, such as those stemming from appreciation of natural beauty, or from sensual activities such as eating, or having sex, the kind of transient but valuable experiences that were shunned by Dutch Calvinists.

Secondly, it risks restricting the chance of a "better, and more fortunate" life to those who are capable of experiencing excellence. Consider a cognitively disabled person. Her impairment prevents her from intellectual excellence: she cannot read Middlemarch , nor understand The Wire , and she could never distinguish a Rembrandt from a Kinkade. She does, however, watch Project Runway , she can read children books, and she really enjoys eating juicy apples and walking in the park. Her impairment also prevents her from moral excellence. While she may be naturally virtuous, in the Aristotelian sense, she cannot achieve practical wisdom, distinguish between hypothetical and categorical imperatives, or maximize utility. Finally, while she is affectionate to her family members, her loving behavior is often immature and self-centered, comparable to that of a toddler. But even though moral, intellectual, and "interpersonal" excellence are bound to be out of her reach, she is in appreciative touch with some things of immeasurable value, and I hesitate to think that her life is less good and less fortunate than mine.

Another context in which Wolf's view could be enriched by taking into consideration a greater variety of psychological profiles is her discussion of personal love. Love is the main topic of chapters 9, 10 and 11, but also comes up in other essays as an exemplary source of "values . . . that compete both motivationally and normatively with moral values" (5). In "The Importance of Love" (ch. 10), Wolf defines love as "caring, deeply and personally, for a person for her own sake" (191). It is an "orientation in the world" that "gives us reasons to live" (191).

Wolf's account is close to the commonsensical understanding of love, and similar to other influential philosophical accounts, such as Harry Frankfurt's. [2] But specific to her approach is how Wolf envisions the role of love's reasons in practical deliberation. In "Morality and Partiality" (ch. 3), for instance, Wolf defends a conception of morality that incorporates what she calls the Impartialist Insight -- "the claim that all persons are equally deserving of well-being and respect" (33) -- in a "moderate" way, so as to be compatible with the demands of partiality "without apology" (35). Her approach on the one hand acknowledges that friendship and love are valuable in themselves, independently of their contribution to morality, but on the other also embraces the possibility of a radical choice in favor of partiality, even at a grave moral cost: the choice of a woman to hide her criminal son from the police, causing an innocent to be imprisoned in his place. Wolf suggests that the woman's hesitation to act according to morality is not only understandable but "positively reasonable . . . . After all, if the meaning of one's life and one's very identity is bound with someone as deeply as a mother's life is characteristically tied to her son's, why should the dictates of impartial morality be regarded as decisive?" (41). She goes on to say that such a woman might be as worthy of admiration and respect as her counterpart who decides not to shelter her son.

While I am sympathetic with Wolf's picture, I worry that she relies on an all-too-rosy picture of motherhood and maternal love, thus implicitly moralizing love itself. To the extent that Wolf convinces us that partiality can reasonably trump impartiality, she succeeds in doing so by describing the mother as engaging in "tortured deliberations" (42), ready to sacrifice her own well-being for the sake of her son's: "Do to me what you like . . . . Judge me as you will. I will go to hell if I have to, but my son is more important to me than my moral salvation." (41). This mother is a selfless martyr. Some readers might in fact take issue with precisely this quasi-fanatical aspect: perhaps she should worry more about the innocent man who will go to jail in her son's place than about her own moral salvation. But even those who feel the pull of Wolf's example, and I am one of them, should bear in mind that there are darker and less valuable ways in which maternal and filial identity are tied up, than pure maternal altruism. Consider the case of a mother who is affected either by narcissistic or borderline personality disorder, or is just plain selfish. [3] Such mothers will be pained at the prospect of their child's going to jail because of the suffering it would cause to them . The shared sense of identity characterizing these relatively common relations is deeply problematic. To the extent that Wolf succeeds in showing that the mother's choice is respectable, or even admirable, she does so by relying not so much on the value of love itself, but on the value of a moralized picture of love.

Consider also Wolf's example in "'One Thought Too Many': Love, Morality, and the Ordering of Commitment" (ch. 9). The essay examines Bernard Williams' famous discussion of the man who rescues his wife instead of another drowning stranger, and who ought not, according to Williams, be motivated by the thought that she is his wife and it is permissible for him to favor her over a stranger. [4] Wolf reviews different interpretations and consequent responses to Williams' thesis, and concludes that the most common reaction is to agree with Williams that "the thought of moral permissibility would be one thought too many if it is understood to occur at the moment of action" (145, original emphases). This view, according to Wolf, is compatible with finding "nothing wrong with a person wondering, in a cool and reflective moment, under what conditions one may give preference to one's loved ones and under what conditions one may not" (146). But -- she argues -- there is in fact something wrong with the husband who reflects, in cold mind, about whether what he did was morally permissible: it is an unappealing personal ideal of a lover. In the essay she offers an alternative ideal, or rather "glimpses of a psychological profile that could be filled out so as to constitute an ideal" (161): a lover who would not constrain his actions to only those that are morally permissible, and who is unlikely to engage in moral deliberation, even hypothetically, over Williams' scenario. Wolf highlights that this is a personal and not a moral ideal, one she wishes she could realize and that she wishes for her children and friends.

Wolf claims to have sketched a psychological profile, but she does not pause to consider whether the husband depicted by Williams is a psychologically ordinary husband. Wolf is clearly sensitive to the constraints imposed on our moral ideals by nonmoral values. But there are also other constraints, imposed by our psychology.

I myself know that I fall short of being the kind of person that Wolf has in mind. I engage in the post-hoc reflections about what morality requires that Wolf deems as obtrusive, and the reason I do is that I sometimes need morality to nudge me to fulfill the demands of love. [5] Lovers are not always capable of putting their beloveds' interests before their own, for a variety of factors: weakness of the will, egoism, and, more relevant to Williams' scenario, primal instincts and emotions such as the hunger that made fathers fight with their sons over a piece of bread in concentration camps, [6] or the panic that makes a man flee in front of an avalanche instead of protecting his wife and children, [7] or, less dramatically, the sleep deprivation and exhaustion that causes petty fights between parents of a newborn.

One might respond on Wolf's behalf that she is explicit about the ideal nature of her lover, so that we should exclude those psychological facts that count as character flaws. But imagine a case in which our husband is a military rescuer. He has been trained to defeat his survival instinct, so there is no risk of him running for his life in front of an avalanche. However, he has also been trained to save perfect strangers. This is not only a deeply engrained habit, but also a part of his identity. When the avalanche approaches, his wife is at 50 meters from him, but another woman, older and less fit than his wife, is closer. It would be physically possible for him to run faster and save his wife. However, his training and professional identity kick in and he runs to save the stranger. Would a post-hoc reflection be inappropriate in this case? Could this person not be a desirable, even ideal love partner?

Wolf's decent human agents are very decent, but sometimes not quite human enough. Reflecting over less idealized profiles of lovers allows us to see also how the very boundaries between normative and axiological domains are sometimes, maybe often, blurry: in real life situations, it is often difficult to distinguish between different kinds of reasons and values. Whether or not a tired woman wakes her husband when the baby needs to be changed may be a complex deliberative act, and the final decision might be justified by a moral reason (he changed the baby earlier in the night, so it's only fair she lets him sleep), a loving one (he is sleeping so well, poor thing), both, or none (there was no time to think, she just instinctively rushed to the crib). Appreciating the variety of values means also appreciating the variety of value , its own internal miscellaneous messiness.

This remark is of course Wolfian in spirit, and I see it showcased by the essay where we find the most psychologically realistic, and thus highly flawed, examples of human agents: "Loving Attention: Lessons in Love from The Philadelphia Story " (ch. 10). Wolf uses the movie The Philadelphia Story as a case study for understanding Iris Murdoch's notion of loving attention as a moral virtue. Wolf's conclusion is that loving attention can be a moral virtue insofar as it is interpreted as "loving of the world" (177). This conclusion is reached through a detailed analysis of the movie and the loving styles of it characters. This method of inquiry, inherently attuned to the complexity of human psychology, not coincidentally leads Wolf to minimize the differences between the domains of value: personal love is argued to be fundamentally analogous to loving the world, including people who are evil and thus unworthy of love, and to love of the arts, and even, maybe, love of chocolate and basketball (cf. footnote 11, 179).

If I had to summarize the gist of my critical remarks in a slogan, it would be: "more chocolate and basketball, please". But I would not be in the position of making such remarks had it not been for Susan Wolf's ground-breaking articulation of the importance of not being saintly.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For their feedback on this review I thank Aaron Meskin and Shen-yi Liao, and especially Michael Della Rocca and Tyler Doggett for extensive discussions.  

[1] Journal of Philosophy 79(8): 419-439 (1982).

[2] It would have been interesting for Wolf to compare her view to Frankfurt's view in The Reasons of Love (Princeton University Press, 2006), especially given their opposite perspectives on the relation between love for others and self-love.

[3] Lydia Davis portrays such a mother in "Selfish" ( The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis , Penguin, 2011, 441-442). The story is chilling because the mother is not depicted as abnormal in a clinical sense, even though of course the distinction between a psychological pathology and a moral flaw may not always be easy to draw.

[4] Bernard Williams, Moral Luck , Cambridge University Press, 1981, 1-19. For simplicity throughout the paper I maintain the husband/wife language, which does not imply endorsing a conventional picture of romantic love, according to which lovers are heterosexual, married, etc.

[5] I do not mean to imply that Wolf is not aware of the existence of conflicts between one's self-interests and the interests of our beloved, as she explicitly talks about these conflicts (see, e.g., the conclusion of ch. 3, p. 46). What I argue here is that the existence of these conflicts should play a larger role in determining what ideals of love are obtainable, and thus desirable.

[6] As recounted by Primo Levi in If This is a Man , Abacus, 2013.

[7] This example is inspired by the movie Force Majeure .

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Essay on Values | Values Essay for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Values:  People go to schools, colleges, and universities to get knowledge, appear in examinations, get a job, and settle in life. With this, they can have everything they desire in life and buy all material things. However, that is not the end or luxury of life. It is just a medium of living. Our life is enriched by the values we learn, possess and impart.

A rich person with low values is not respected in society than a poor man with rich values. Therefore, it is important to learn these values and carry them. Good values make one person down to earth. It teaches one to be simple, humble and honest. Society can be a better place to live if people are filled with good values, and their values determine the actions.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Values for Students and Kids in English

We provide the students with essay samples on an extended essay on Values of 500 words and a short essay on Values of 150 words on the topic of Values.

Long Essay on Values of 500 words in English

Long Essay on Values is helpful to students of classes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Ozment has defined the term Value as “an enduring belief or trust that a specific mode of conduct and dealing or end-state of its existence is personally or socially likeable to an opposite or converse mode of dealing or end-state of existence”. The personality of an individual largely depends on the values and ethics which one carries.

A person’s life is confined to the things one reads only in books, what one eats and what material things one possesses, rather these are few things of less importance in life. It is the values that determine the quality of life one leads and determines how an individual is an asset to humanity. Thus, it is important to have a value-based education.

The values ooze from various sources. We all have come across the proverb “Charity begins at home”. Indeed, all good things are learnt by the kids from their parents, grandparents and elders of the family. It is the root of all sources. If a child is taught to be a child of values from home itself, they acquire it and retain it forever. The next is the school. If we want the values to be instilled in the child forever, school and the bookish education must provide the moral education that is very beneficial for the child’s moral development. In this way, the child is not only prepared for the carer but also of the character. Many people also learn many values from their workplaces, colleagues, by reading religious and spiritual books. No matter what the source is, people should be absorbed to achieve a proper standard of living.

It is said that “Morning shows the Day”. Thus, the values must be imparted in an individual right from childhood. There is no end to acquiring values, and it is a continuous process. This determines the holistic growth and personality development of an individual. A person with good values will always be an asset to the family, society and nation as a whole. If people carry values, then there will be no hatred, corruption or any anti-social activities.

Good values include punctuality, sincerity, honesty, well-mannerisms, kindness, compassion and respect for elders. We often find little children pelt stones at animals at the roadside, throw garages here and there, tease animals and bully their friends and juniors. If steps are not taken to check on such activities, they eventually turn out to commit big crimes in the future.

Good values enhance the social stature of a person. It leads him or her to the path of spiritualism. Values are the real ornaments of a person. All good values motivate people to be on the path of righteousness and reach our goal. Not only that but also, a person teaches his upcoming generation about the goodness of values. People should never derail themselves from good values and always motivate others to carry too.

Short Essay on Values 150 words in English

Short Essay on Values is helpful to students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Values are the qualities that determine the decisions of a person. They are the basis for a person to choose between two conflicting things. A person with good values prospers in life, whereas one with bad values us a liability for society. The schools, parents, home, the surroundings a the colleagues or friends play a major role in shaping an individual’s values.

Just like an earthen pot, a child can be moulded and motivated for good things. Such an approach would prevent one from getting engaged in corrupt practices in life. This prevents him or her from leading an unethical life. He or she gets a better understanding of good things and bad thing. An ideal person should be disciplined life and have all moral values in life. Life should be based on simplicity. That is the real richness or luxury for life.

10 Lines on Values Essay

• The values are the moral qualities that shape one’s personalities.
• Values play an important role in developing and polishing one’s character.
• A person of good values should lead a simple life.
• One should be very kind-hearted and compassionate for the poor, needy people and innocent animals.
• One should learn to respect all the elders and parents.
• The childhood phase is the best phase to put the foundation or base the structure of values in an individual.
• Benevolence, generosity, charity and truthfulness are the values that all should possess.
• A person of good values is more likely to succeed in life.
• Values enrich the lifestyle and personality of an individual.
• We should all learn and carry good values.

FAQ’s on Values Essay

Question 1. What are the sources of Values?

Answer: There is no exhaustive source of values. However, one learns it from home, parents, elders and schools.

Question 2. What are the common values that students should possess?

Answer: The students should possess values of truthfulness, honesty, sincerity, respect for elders.

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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.

• 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 […]
• 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 […]
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 […]
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
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Essay on values: meaning, characteristics and importance.

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Essay on Values: Meaning, Characteristics and Importance!

Values are stable, long lasting beliefs about what is important to an Values are a very powerful but individual. Values are very important to the study of the organisational behaviour, silent force affecting human because values have an important influence on the attitudes, perceptions, and needs and motives of the people at work. Values are the basis of human personality and are a very powerful but silent force affecting human behaviour.

Values are so much embedded in the personalities of the people that they can be inferred from people’s behaviour and their attitudes. Effective managers have to understand the values underlying the behaviour of the employees, because only then they will realize why the people behave in strange and different ways sometimes.

Meaning and Definition of Values:

A value system is viewed as a relatively permanent perceptual frame work which influences the nature of an individual’s behaviour. The values are the attributes possessed by an individual and thought desirable. Values are similar to attitudes but are more permanent and well built in nature.

A value may be defined as a “concept of the desirable, an internalized criterion or standard of evaluation a person possesses. Such concepts and standards are relatively few and determine or guide an individual’s evaluations of the many objects encountered in everyday life.”

According to Milton Rokeach, a noted psychologist “Values are global beliefs that guide actions and judgments across a variety of situations.” Values represent basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct (or end state of existence) is personality or socially preferable to an opposite mode of conduct (or end state of existence)”.

Characteristic of Values:

Values are generally, tinged with moral flavour and they contain a judgmental element, involving an individual’s idea as to what is right, good, desirable.

The characteristics of values are:

(i) Values provide standards of competence and morality.

(ii) Values are fewer in number than attitudes.

(iii) Values transcend specific objects, situations or persons.

(iv) Values are relatively permanent and resistant to change.

(v) Values are most central to the core of a person.

(vi) Values have two attributes-content and intensity. The content attribute stresses that a particular code of conduct is important. The intensity attribute specifies how important that particulars code of conduct is.

(vii) When we rank an individual’s values in terms of their intensity. We obtain the value system of that person.

(viii) In the value system, all of us have a hierarchy of values; which is identified by the relative importance we assign to different values such as freedom, self respect, honesty, self respect, and so on.

Importance of Values:

Values are important to the study of organisational behaviour because of the following points signifying their importance:

(i) Values lay the foundations for the understanding of attitudes and motivation.

(ii) Personal value system influences the perception of individuals.

(iii) Value system influences the manager’s perception of the different situations.

(iv) Personal value system influences the way in which a manager views the other individuals and the groups of individuals in the organisation.

(v) Value system also influences a manager’s decisions and his solutions to the various problems.

(vi) Values influence the attitudes and behaviours. An individual will get more job satisfaction if his values align with the organisation’s policies. If the organisation’s policies are different from his views and values, he will be disappointed; the disappointment will lead to job dissatisfaction and decline in performance.

(vii) The challenge and reexamination of established work values constitute important corner stone’s of the current management revolution all over the world. Hence, an understanding of the values becomes a necessity.

Types of Values:

Milton Rokeach Classification:

An extensive research conducted by the noted psychologist Milton Rokeach, identifies two basic types of values.

1. Terminal Values:

A terminal value is an ultimate goal in a desired status or outcome. These lead to the ends to be achieved.

The examples of terminal values are:

Instrumental values relate to means for achieving desired ends. It is a tool for acquiring a terminal value.

The instrumental values given in this study are:

The combination of terminal and instrumental values an individual has, create an enduring cluster of values which is his value system. Thus, according to this survey, our values and value system are primarily the determinants of who and what we are as individuals.

Allport, Vernon and Lindzey Classification :

G.W. Allport, P.E. Vernon and G. Lindzey have categorized values into six major types as follows:

1. Theoretical:

Interest in the discovery of truth through reasoning and systematic thinking. The ideal theoretical man values the discovery of truth.

2. Economic:

Interest in usefulness and practicality, including the accumulation of wealth. The ideal economic man values what is useful and concerned with practical affairs.

3. Aesthetic:

Interest in beauty, form and artistic harmony. The ideal aesthetic man values artistic and aesthetic experiences in life, though he himself may not be creative.

Interest in people and human relationships. The ideal social man places great values on affiliation and love. He tends to be kind and sympathetic to other individuals.

5. Political:

Interest in gaining power and influencing other people. The ideal political man places great value on power.

6. Religious:

Interest in unity and understanding the cosmos as a whole. The highest value for the ideal religious man may be called unit. Different people give different importance to the above mentioned six values. Every individuals gives ranking to the values from one to six. This is very important for understanding the behaviour of the people.

Sources of Values:

1. Family Factor:

The most important factor which influences the value system of an individual is his immediate family. Some values are inculcated in A person learn and develops values from the following sources the individuals from the childhood and remain in his mind throughout his life. The child rearing practices the parents adopt shape the personality of the human being. Family is the most influential factor in the individual’s learning of social behaviour, values and norms.

2. Social Factors:

Out of all the social factors school plays the most important role in developing the value system of an individual. The child learns the basic discipline from the school. Moreover, the interactions with the teachers, classmates and other staff members in the schools and colleges make the child inculcate values important to the teaching-learning process. Other social factors which may affect values are religious economic and political institutional in the society.

3. Personal Factors:

Personal traits such as intelligence, ability, appearance and educational level of the person determine his development of values. For example, if a person is highly intelligent, he will understand the values faster. If he is highly educated, high values will be inculcated in him by his school and college.

4. Cultural Factors:

Cultural factors include everything that is learned and passed on from generation to generation. Culture includes certain beliefs and other patterns of behaviour. An individual is a participant in social culture, group culture and organisational culture. Thus, he is known as a composite of many cultural elements. Culture is based on certain implicit and explicit values. For example, whether a person is co-operative, friendly or hostile depends upon to which culture he belongs to Individual relationships are different in different cultures and within certain groups of society also. Whether, the individual values money making or doing service to the mankind again depends upon his cultural background.

5. Religious Factors:

Individuals, generally, receive strength and comfort from their religion. Religion comprises of a formal set of values which are passed on from generation to generation. Advancement in technology has under viewed faith in traditional religious beliefs and values.

6. Life Experiences:

A man learns the most from his own personal life experience. Sometimes man can learn from the experience of others also. In the long run, most of the values which influence our behaviour are validated by the satisfaction we have experienced in pursuing them. Individuals work out their values on the basis of what seems most logical to them.

Values carry importance in direct proportion to how much faith the individual has in them. He should have those values which can stand the test of reality. He should not have rigid values but flexible system which can change with the changes in the individual himself, his life situation and the socio-economic environment.

7. Role Demands:

The role demand refers to the behaviour associated with a particular position in the organisation. All organisations have some formal and some informal code of behaviour. Role demand can create problems when there is a role conflict. Thus, the managers will have to quickly learn the value system prevalent in the organisation.

If they want to move up the ladder of success. For example, if the informal code of behaviour says that the manager must mix up socially with the subordinates, he should learn to do so even though, his personal value system conflicts with his role as a manager.

8. Halo Effect:

The halo effect refers to the tendency of judging people on the’ basis of a single trait, which may be good or bad, favourable or un-favourable. Sometimes, we judge a person by one first impression about him or her. For example, if a person is kind, he will also be perceived as good, able, helpful, cheerful, nice, and intelligent and so on.

On the other hand, if a person is abrasive, he shall also be perceived as bad, awful, unkind, aggressive, harmful and wicked. Thus, what one sees in the universe depends partly on one’s inner needs. Thus, with the help of halo effect, we see certain values in others which are actually not there, but we perceive them to be there.

Related Articles:

• Factors that Influence Our Personality
• Importance of Organizational Values

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Essay Samples on Values

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Best topics on Values

1. The Essential Role of Human Values in the 21st Century

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

3. Unpacking the Value of Community Service Hours

4. The Power of Censorship: Safeguarding Societal Values

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

6. Being Proud of Your Values and Beliefs

7. Understanding What Is The Special Value To Life

8. Defining The Meaning And Value Of Human Life

9. Finding The True Meaning And Value Of Life In Plato’s Works

10. The Meaning Of Life And Value Of Life Based On Plato’s Philosophy

11. Searching For What Is The Value Of Life

12. The Value Of A Single Life And Its Meaning

13. The Impact Of Religion On Defining What Is Value Of Life

14. Personal Dignity And Integrity As The Core Of Personal Values

15. Exposition Of Wicks Concept Of Human Right And Value To Life

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Core Values List

Below is a list of core values commonly used by leadership institutes and programs. This list is not exhaustive, but it will give you an idea of some common core values (also called personal values). My recommendation is to select less than five core values to focus on—if everything is a core value, then nothing is really a priority.

• Authenticity
• Achievement
• Citizenship
• Contribution
• Determination
• Friendships
• Inner Harmony
• Meaningful Work
• Recognition
• Responsibility
• Self-Respect
• Spirituality
• Trustworthiness

Note: many of the personal values listed above came from a list I received while working with The LeaderShape Institute.

Integrity Reports

I use my core values to create my annual Integrity Reports . Writing these reports is a yearly ritual that forces me to think about how I am living out my core values in real life.

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More Eagle County high schoolers on the meaning of patriotism

News News | Jul 2, 2024

Editor’s note: Each year, graduating high school seniors in Eagle County can apply for a scholarship from the VFW Post in Minturn by writing an essay on patriotism. The Vail Daily is running a sampling of essays, with permission from the authors, ahead of the July 4 holiday.

Paige Eaton, Eagle Valley High School

U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said: “I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.”

I like this quote because it talks about the importance of the American flag and what our flag represents. Freedom is significant and I am very thankful we live in a country that ensures people’s freedom and safety. I love red, white, and blue colors, anything and everything.

I was born on July 4, so I am very patriotic and love all American flag things. I love my birthday because I love wearing red, white, and blue and celebrating our country’s independence. I am lucky and honored to have my birthday on Independence Day.

Patriotism is more than flags and red, white, and blue — it goes back to supporting our country. I am proud to live in the United States and be an American. Whether I see an American flag waving, I am standing for the pledge of allegiance, or I am standing for the national anthem, I am a proud American.

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My family supports the country and our troops fighting for the country by celebrating holidays and putting our flag up. Whether it is Memorial Day, Independence Day, 9/11, or Flag Day we always have our flag hanging outside off our porch.

To me, patriotism means helping, supporting, and showing love to our country and our troops who sacrifice their lives to protect us and the country we live in. We can support and show love for our country by displaying the American flag, celebrating national holidays, standing for the national anthem, and helping/giving to the soldiers who fight for protection. I have multiple family members who have served in various branches of the military. I understand the support and love we need to give our soldiers who give their lives to the country and its people by protecting us.

Talia Crawford, Eagle Valley High School

When I think of what it means to be patriotic, I think of the terms loyalty, enthusiasm, and respect. In my eyes, patriotism is something that can be expressed on many different levels. It could mean simply having pride in being an American citizen or it could also mean getting involved in your community to show your love for and commitment to the people around you.

I think being patriotic means being proud to be an American. I am grateful every day that I get to live in this country as I know I have many freedoms and opportunities that can be difficult to find elsewhere. Small acts can reflect patriotism, such as standing up and proudly saying the Pledge of Allegiance daily, removing your hat during the singing of the national anthem, and thanking veterans for their service.

Patriotism is a sense of spirit and morale. In a high school environment, I think being patriotic means embracing the school spirit by getting loud at games, participating in different clubs, and being proud to be an Eagle Valley High School Devil. It means going out of your way to meet new people and strengthen the community around you.

I feel that I am being a good, patriotic citizen when I am doing community service or volunteer work. Giving back to the people who have made home such a lovely place is a great way to show respect and appreciation. It is similar to how we show respect to the soldiers that fought for the United States, such as on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Patriotism is all about understanding the value of being a U.S. citizen and being dedicated to making a difference. It is about staying loyal to the place we call home. I believe that nothing has the ability to make such a significant impact on a nation more than a strong patriotic spirit does. Patriotism makes me determined to be not only the best citizen I can be but also the best person I can be.

Grace Thomas, Eagle Valley High School

To me, patriotism means fighting and supporting your country under all circumstances. It means to be devoted to the success of your country. It is important to work towards progress to ensure the building of a stronger nation. Patriotism is important to me because citizens should be committed to the betterment of their country and stay loyal through tough times.

For example, during times of war, our country relies on patriotic people to fight for our freedom and defend the United States citizens. I have had a few family members serve in the military and I respect everyone who has or is currently serving our country to protect our freedom. Patriotism also requires citizens to commit themselves to the values of their country. Citizens have the responsibility of involving themselves in their society through tasks such as voting, volunteering, and working.

I volunteer for a woman with dementia at my local retirement home, which is an example of my personal patriotism because younger generations should be helping and assisting our previous generations. I also plan to study nursing in college and get a job in health care, which I believe is another form of patriotism because health care workers commit themselves to aiding people in need daily. One example is during COVID-19, health care workers willingly sacrificed themselves to care for the ill, despite our lack of knowledge of the pandemic.

Patriotism means to stand up against things you believe are wrong and fight to represent what is right. It provides a sense of togetherness and is crucial for the success of a country. For example, protesting is a common way of showing patriotism. Through protesting, people can come together to support each other on a problem they want to address. This is critical for the success of our country because as citizens, we have the freedom to fight for our beliefs and encourage others to voice theirs too.

An easy way to support one’s beliefs is to vote. This is perhaps the easiest, but most impactful way as a citizen to fight for what is right and to make a difference in our country. Even through everyday activities such as watching our national sports teams, saying the Pledge of Allegiance at school, and paying taxes people show their patriotism.

To me, patriotism does not always have to involve joining the military or becoming a police officer, it is the little gestures that really reflect the love we citizens have for our country.

Morgan Bodenhemier, Eagle Valley High School

Patriotism has always represented a big part of my life. I grew up in the world of rodeo, which is known to be a very patriotic event. We pay tribute to the cowboys and the cowgirls that have come before us every single time we rodeo. We always say a prayer to the animals and to competitors and make sure to fly the greatest flag in the world over the arena dirt every single time before the first horse is bucked.

Patriotism means more to me than just standing up when the pledge plays over the classroom or removing cover when the national anthem plays over a speaker in a gym. To me, patriotism means doing the most every single day because of the people who have fought for us to live the life we live. We live in a country where you can complete your goals no matter where you come from. All it takes is a lot of hard work and the ability to put your head down and grind.

Not until this last year have the sacrifices people have given to this country really shown. While no one in my immediate family has been impacted by war, my best friend’s mother has. This winter we went to Las Vegas for a rodeo half way through the weekend we received free tickets to the National Finals Rodeo happening just down the street. I was extremely surprised when I was informed that her mother would not be attending.

Later that night, I learned due to the amount of bombs she has experienced she will never be able to be in a building with loud noises again. So that wraps it up — patriotism means living for people like my best friend’s mom every single day and never letting them question if the things they did were worth it.

Patriotism is never taking for granted the life we are given and always remembering that while things may get rough there are people who have died for us to have the opportunities we do. So while it may be different than most, my idea of patriotism is becoming who you want to be no matter what it takes because we are blessed with the ability to do so.

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The President Can Now Assassinate You, Officially

Under this new standard, a president can go on a four-to-eight-year crime spree and then retire from public life, never to be held accountable.

United States Supreme Court justices pose for their official portrait on October 7, 2022, in Washington, DC.

Welp, Donald Trump won. The Supreme Court today ruled that presidents are entitled to “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for official acts, then contended that pressuring the vice president and the Department of Justice to overthrow the government was an “official act,” then said that talking to advisers or making public statements are “official acts” as well, and then determined that evidence of what presidents say and do cannot be used against them to establish that their acts are “unofficial.”

The ruling from the Supreme Court was 6-3, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, on a straight party-line vote, with all the Republican-appointed justices joining to give the president the power of a king. While some parts of the federal indictment against Trump will be remanded back down to the district-court trial judge to determine whether any of Trump’s actions were “unofficial” (“unofficial” acts, the court says, are not entitled to immunity), Trump’s victory in front of the Supreme Court is total. Essentially, all he has to do is claim that everything he did to plot a coup was part of his “official” duties, and the Supreme Court provided no clear method or evidentiary standard that can be used to challenge that presumption.

Legally, there are two critical things to understand about the totality of the court’s ruling here:

• The immunity is absolute
• There is no legislative way to get rid of what the court has given

On the first point, the immunity granted to Trump in this case far exceeds the immunity granted to, say, police officers or other government officials, when they act in their official capacities. Those officials are granted “qualified” immunity from civil penalties. Because the immunity is “qualified,” it can be taken away (“pierced” is the legal jargon for taking away an official’s qualified immunity). People can bring evidence against officials and argue that they shouldn’t be given immunity because of the gravity or depravity of their acts.

Not so with Trump. Presidents are now entitled to “absolute” immunity, which means that no matter what they do, the immunity cannot be lost. They are always and forever immune, no matter what evidence is brought to bear.

Moreover, unlike other officials, presidents are now entitled to absolute immunity from criminal charges. Even a cop can be charged with, say, murder , even if they argue that killing people is part of their jobs. But not presidents. Presidents can murder, rape, steal, and pretty much do whatever they want, so long as they argue that murdering, raping, or stealing is part of the official job of the president of the United States. There is no crime that pierces the veil of absolute immunity.

And there is essentially nothing we can do to change it. The courts created qualified immunity for public officials, but it can be undone by state or federal legislatures if they pass a law removing that protection. Not so with absolute presidential immunity. The court here says that absolute immunity is required by the separation of powers inherent in the Constitution, meaning that Congress cannot take it away. Congress, according to the Supreme Court, does not have the power to pass legislation saying “the president can be prosecuted for crimes.” Impeachment, and only impeachment, is the only way to punish presidents, and, somewhat obviously, impeachment does nothing to a president who is already no longer in office.

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Under this new standard, a president can go on a four-to-eight-year crime spree, steal all the money and murder all the people they can get their hands on, all under guise of presumptive “official” behavior, and then retire from public life, never to be held accountable for their crimes while in office. That, according to the court, is what the Constitution requires. 

There will be Republicans and legal academics and whatever the hell job Jonathan Turley has who will go into overdrive arguing that the decision isn’t as bad as all that. These bad-faith actors will be quoted or even published in The Washington Post and The New York Times . They will argue that presidents can still be prosecuted for “unofficial acts,” and so they will say that everything is fine.

But they will be wrong, because while the Supreme Court says “unofficial” acts are still prosecutable, the court has left nearly no sphere in which the president can be said to be acting “unofficially.” And more importantly, the court has left virtually no vector of evidence that can be deployed against a president to prove that their acts were “unofficial.” If trying to overthrow the government is “official,” then what isn’t? And if we can’t use the evidence of what the president says or does, because communications with their advisers, other government officials, and the public is “official,” then how can we ever show that an act was taken “unofficially”?

Take the now-classic example of a president ordering Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival. According to the logic of the Republicans on the Supreme Court, that would likely be an official act. According to their logic, there is also no way to prove it’s “unofficial,” because any conversation the president has with their military advisers (where, for instance, the president tells them why they want a particular person assassinated) is official and cannot be used against them.

There will doubtless be people still wondering if Trump can somehow be prosecuted: The answer is “no.” Special counsel Jack Smith will surely argue that presenting fake electors in connection with his cadre of campaign sycophants was not an “official act.” Lower-court judges may well agree. But when that appeal gets back to the Supreme Court next year, the same justices who just ruled that Trump is entitled to absolute immunity will surely rule that submitting fake electors was also part of Trump’s “official” responsibilities.

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There is no way to change that outcome in the short term. In the long term, the only way to undo the authoritarianism the court has just ushered in is to expand the Supreme Court . Democrats would have to win the upcoming presidential election and the House and the Senate. Then Congress would have to pass a law expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court; then the Senate would have to pass that law as well, which, at a minimum, would likely have to include getting rid of the filibuster. Then the president would have to sign such a bill, and appoint additional Supreme Court justices who do not think that presidents should be kings—and then those justices would have to be confirmed. And all of that would have to happen before the current Supreme Court hears whatever Trump appeal from his January 6 charges comes up next, because if court expansion happens after the current Supreme Court dismisses the charges against him, double jeopardy will attach and Trump can never be prosecuted again under a less-fascist court.

So, since that’s not going to happen, Trump won. He won completely. He tried to overthrow the government, and he got away with it. I cannot even imagine what he’ll try if he is actually given power again, knowing full well that he will never be held accountable for literal crimes.

If you ever wondered what you’d have done in ancient Rome, when the Roman Republic was shuttered and Augustus Caesar declared himself the “first” citizen of Rome, the answer is: whatever you’re doing right now. It’s what you would have done during the Restoration of King Charles II in England, and what you would have done when Napoleon declared himself emperor of France. This, right here, is how republics die.

And the answer that cries out from the abyss of history is that most people, in real time, don’t care. Republics fall because most citizens are willing to give it away. Most people think that it won’t be that bad to lose the rule of law, and the people who stand to benefit from the ending of republican self-government tell everybody that it will be OK. When the Imperium came to be, the Romans didn’t realize that they were seeing the last form of European self-government for 2,000 years, and the ones who did were largely happy about it.

For my part, I assume that like Mark Antony’s wife, Fulvia, defiling the decapitated head of Cicero, Martha-Ann Alito will be jabbing her golden hairpin into my tongue for criticizing the powerful soon enough. But I’m just a writer. I wonder what the rest of you will do as the last vestiges of democracy are taken away by the Imperial Supreme Court and the untouchable executive officer they’ve just created.

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Elie Mystal is  The Nation ’s justice correspondent and the host of its legal podcast, Contempt of Court . He is also an Alfred Knobler Fellow at the Type Media Center. His first book is the New York Times bestseller Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, published by The New Press. Elie can be followed @ElieNYC .

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6 steps to create your winning college list.

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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 29: People walk on the campus of the University of North Carolina ... [+] Chapel Hill on June 29, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admission policies used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate the Constitution, bringing an end to affirmative action in higher education. (Photo by Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)

Navigating the college admissions landscape in 2024 demands a comprehensive understanding of current trends while ensuring that each student's unique values and needs are aligned with their chosen institutions. Here are practical steps to guide you in creating a winning college list that aligns with your values and goals.

Step 1: Define Your College Criteria

Start by identifying what's important to you in a college experience. Consider factors like location, size, academic programs, extracurricular opportunities, and campus culture. Understanding your preferences will help you narrow down your options.

Rank Your Needs

Below is a list of needs your future college could meet for you. Beside each item, rank it on a scale of 1 to 4.

• 1 = Non-negotiable
• 2 = Important
• 3 = Semi-important
• 4 = Unimportant

Your College Needs

• Long distance from current home
• Friends from high school will be there
• Internship opportunities in my future career
• Politically engaged student body
• Near nature, lots of outdoor activities
• Attractive program in my desired major
• School with high name-brand recognition, prestigious
• Good sorority/fraternity scene
• Beautiful environment
• Cool college town, lots of off-campus opportunities
• Strong study abroad program
• Strong religious affiliation/spiritual opportunities
• Strong alumni network
• Chance to play collegiate sports
• Diverse student body
• Can drive home easily

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This list is by no means comprehensive. You may have a completely different set of priorities than the ones featured here. The point is this: The sooner you get real about what your needs are, the sooner you can cross schools from your list that don’t meet them. You’re the one going to college; you’re the boss of your experience.

Step 2: Research College Cultures And Values

Dig into the culture and values of each college you're considering. Start by visiting the university's website and reading their mission and vision statements. This can provide insight into what the institution values and strives to achieve.

For example, Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business emphasizes critical thinking and leadership. The school’s mission statement reads: "To create value for business and society by providing intellectual leadership, advancing the science and practice of management, and developing ethical leaders to be the agents of change in a world driven by technology and innovation.” Its motto, "My heart is in the work," suggests a deep commitment to integrating passion with profession. Does this resonate with your values and how you see your future?

To further understand a college's culture, go straight to the source: the student newspaper. Student newspapers offer candid student perspectives. For instance, a student at Stanford University might describe the entrepreneurial spirit on campus, while a student at Swarthmore College might highlight the collaborative and socially conscious atmosphere.

Step 3: Investigate Strategic Goals

Many people often express frustration with the perceived opacity of the college admissions process, and their concerns are not unfounded. However, if you want insight into the types of students likely to be admitted in the upcoming year, it’s essential to examine the college's strategic goals for the next few years. This information is usually available in their strategic plan, which can be found on their website. Look for documents that detail the institution's goals and the strategies they plan to implement to achieve them.

For instance, Stanford University’s strategic plan emphasizes sustainability and interdisciplinary research. If you are passionate about environmental science, Stanford’s focus on sustainability might align well with your interests. Conversely, the University of Chicago may highlight its commitment to rigorous intellectual inquiry and civic engagement, which appeals to students who value deep academic exploration and community involvement.

By understanding a school's strategic goals, you can determine whether the institution’s direction aligns with your academic and personal aspirations. For example, if Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business prioritizes fostering innovation and using data for social good, and you have experience in launching nonprofits or working with big data, you can highlight this alignment in your application. This approach not only enhances your application but also ensures that you choose a school where you can thrive and contribute meaningfully.

Step 4: Explore Academic Offerings And Structures

When deciding on a major , it's crucial to investigate the academic programs and structures at each college. Understand the scheduling systems, core curriculum requirements, and research opportunities within your intended major.

For example, Brown University offers an open curriculum, allowing students the flexibility to design their own educational paths without mandatory general education requirements. This approach might appeal to applicants eager to explore diverse academic fields. On the other hand, Columbia University’s Core Curriculum ensures all students, regardless of major, receive a broad-based education in the liberal arts, appealing to those who value a structured and comprehensive academic foundation.

Check specific departmental websites for detailed information about faculty, ongoing research projects, and student involvement in research. These resources will give you a clearer picture of the academic environment and opportunities available in your chosen field, helping you make an informed decision about which college will best support your academic and career aspirations.

Step 5: Follow the Money

This might sound counterintuitive but hear me out. If you want to know which students a college will likely admit in the next few years, look at where the college is investing its resources. Recent donations and funding priorities can provide clear indicators of the school's current and future focuses.

For example, if you're interested in studying music business (full disclosure: I was a music business major), Belmont University should be on your radar. In April 2024, the school received a $58 million donation from a music executive to expand its programs. Such significant funding can lead to better facilities, more research opportunities, and potentially more seats and scholarships for students in those programs.

To research your favorite colleges, use resources like The Chronicle of Philanthropy to see where significant donations have been made. If your intended program has recently received a large donation, it could mean enhanced resources and opportunities for you. Conversely, if a college you’re considering is directing funds into programs or initiatives that don’t align with your interests, it might be worth reconsidering your choice.

Understanding where a college allocates its financial resources can help you to ensure alignment between your academic and career goals with the institution's strengths and priorities.

Step 6: Build Connections

It’s not only what you know; it’s who you know. A strategic step in creating a college list is to establish relationships with alumni, current students, professors, and administrators. Networking with individuals who are currently attending or have previously attended the colleges you’re interested in will give you a personalized and in-depth view of each institution.

Alumni networks, campus visits, and informational interviews can provide invaluable insights. Reach out to alumni through LinkedIn or your high school's alumni network. Attend college fairs and visit campuses if possible. During your visit, engage with current students and faculty to get a sense of the campus atmosphere and academic environment. Remember to send thank-you notes and follow-up messages after every interaction.

When building your college list, remember that it's not about finding the best college—it's about finding the best college for you. You are not just choosing a college; you are shaping your future. Make sure it’s a future that aligns with who you are and who you want to become.

When you apply to college, share your talents with the institutions that will appreciate them. You’ll know which ones they are once you follow this guide to success.

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The far right is on the rise ahead of elections in France. Here’s what you need to know.

France is on the cusp of voting in a far-right government for the first time since World War II, as the national mood appears to be souring on President Emmanuel Macron’s brand of mainstream centrism and lurching toward fiery anti-establishment populism. It’s a familiar story for anyone watching the political drama from the bitterly polarized U.S.

France’s anti-immigrant National Rally party is edging out the competition in opinion polls in the run-up to a two-round snap legislative vote on Sunday and July 7. Macron dissolved the French Parliament and called the snap election after his liberal Renaissance coalition was routed by the National Rally in European Parliament elections earlier this month.

Macron will remain president after the snap election, but the 46-year-old leader will need to select a prime minister from the ranks of whichever political group nabs a majority in the National Assembly, the French equivalent of the U.S. House. If the far right triumphs, Macron could enter the Paris Summer Olympics under a cloud of political embarrassment, humbled by a fraught power-sharing arrangement.

Here’s a guide to the snap election, the major players vying for victory, and what the results could portend for the U.S. as the nation looks ahead to November.

What led to this election?

Macron’s tenure in office has always been shadowed by the rise of the far right.

He was elected to the French presidency in 2017 and re-elected in 2022, both times defeating Marine Le Pen , the face of the National Rally and the daughter of the late Jean-Marie Le Pen, a fervent far-right politician who was notorious for his antisemitic and Islamophobic views. Macron won handily in 2017 on a conventional pro-business platform, but his margin of victory was tighter five years later.

In recent years, Le Pen and her party have rallied voters against Macron’s presidency and what she views as the sociopolitical ills of the West, including immigration, globalization and multiculturalism. Le Pen has advocated for stricter limits on immigration, economic protectionism, and closer ties between France and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The National Rally’s populist agitation now appears to be paying dividends. Le Pen’s party received double the votes of Macron’s centrists during European Parliament elections held from June 6 to June 9. Macron’s coalition was trounced so badly that he immediately called for snap elections in a risky bid to reassert his authority — and give voters a chance to declare which ideological path they want to follow.

“I have heard your message, your concerns, and I will not leave them unanswered,” Macron said in a speech to the nation after the vote to elect lawmakers to the European Union’s 720-seat Parliament. “France needs a clear majority to act in serenity and harmony.” He said he was “confident” voters would “make the right choice.”

Recent opinion polls measuring voting intention showed the National Rally with a commanding lead, followed by the leftist New Popular Front coalition. Macron’s liberal bloc trailed in third place.

The first round of voting will be held on Sunday. If a candidate wins a majority of votes in the first ballot, they win the seat. For the remaining candidates who did not win a decisive majority but polled highest, a run-off round will be held on July 7.

Who are the major players in the election?

Le Pen may be synonymous with the National Rally, but she is not the far-right movement’s contender for prime minister in the snap elections. The National Rally’s figurehead in the race is Jordan Bardella, a clean-cut, media-savvy 28-year-old and loyal Le Pen protégé who joined the right-wing party as a teenager. (Le Pen is believed to be angling for the presidency in 2027.)

Bardella, who was elected party president in 2022, touts his working-class roots and reaches disaffected voters through TikTok, where he has 1.7 million followers . In crisp suits, Bardella rails against mass immigration and demographic change. (“No French citizen would tolerate living in a house without doors or windows,” he said on French television this month , appearing to advocate for tighter restrictions on immigration. “Well, it’s the same thing with a country.”)

“What he sells is that his party has never been given a try and that it is the only true alternative, all others being affiliated with the so-called ‘system,’ a word that has a similar meaning to Trump’s ‘swamp,’” said Jean-Yves Camus, a French political scientist who studies nationalist movements in Europe, referring to the former U.S. president’s characterization of entrenched interests in Washington.

Bardella’s counterpart in the centrist Renaissance coalition is 35-year-old Gabriel Attal, who has been dubbed “Baby Macron” by some in the French press. Macron appointed Attal to the prime ministership in January , making him the youngest and first openly gay person to serve in the role.

Attal, a former member of the Socialist Party, grew his national stature when he worked as government spokesperson during the Covid-19 pandemic. He rose in prominence as budget minister and education minister before ascending to the prime minister’s office, where he has tried to broaden the Renaissance movement’s appeal in a time of simmering dissatisfaction with Macron’s brand of middle-ground liberalism.

In recent opinion polls, however, Macron’s party has lagged behind both the National Rally and the New Popular Front, an alliance of leftist factions that includes socialists, communists and other groups. If the National Rally crushes the competition in the snap elections, Attal would lose the prime ministership.

The far-left coalition has not publicly announced the selection of a candidate for prime minister, though high-profile figures on that end of the ideological spectrum include Manuel Bompard of the hard-left France Unbowed party and the Socialist Party’s Raphaël Glucksmann.

What would the results mean for the world?

If the far right prevails, Macron’s domestic agenda would almost certainly take a hit — and far-right nationalist movements around the world would likely feel emboldened. The European Parliament elections that proved so bruising for Macron were also rough on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose Social Democrats turned in their worst result ever thanks in part to the success of the hard-right Alternative for Germany.

The triumph of the National Rally could foreshadow good fortune for former President Donald Trump as he seeks to recapture the White House as the presumptive Republican nominee. Eight summers ago, the success of the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom — fueled in part by anti-immigrant fervor — hinted at a similar political atmosphere in the U.S.; Trump, for his part, once called himself “Mr. Brexit.”

The rise of the National Rally could also imperil French support for Ukraine and derail Macron’s efforts to stand up to Russian aggression, according to Camus, who described the far-right party as isolationist. “It wants France to opt out of NATO military command and says it rules out sending missiles and troops to Ukraine,” which would “amount to betrayal of the West’s interests,” Camus said.

Camus said that the National Rally and Trump would probably “get along pretty well” if the presumptive Republican nominee wins another term. “It will be tougher for a Democratic administration,” he added.

Daniel Arkin is a national reporter at NBC News.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Values — My Core Values: A Personal Reflection on What Matters Most

My Core Values: a Personal Reflection on What Matters Most

• Categories: Values

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Words: 676 |

Published: Jan 28, 2021

Words: 676 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Works Cited:

• Evans, R. J. (2005). The Third Reich in Power. Penguin.
• Gao, P. (2007). How Japan Plans to Win the War. Journal of Contemporary China, 16(50), 613-625.
• Henig, R. M. (1995). Versailles and After: 1919-1933. Routledge.
• Johnston, M. (Ed.). (2011). The Cambridge Handbook of Japanese Foreign Policy. Cambridge University Press.
• Kershaw, I. (2000). Hitler, 1936-1945: Nemesis. Penguin.
• Mommsen, W. J., & Kettenacker, L. (Eds.). (1996). The Fascist Challenge and the Policy of Appeasement. Routledge.
• Paxton, R. O. (2005). The Anatomy of Fascism. Vintage.
• Shirer, W. L. (2011). The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany. Simon & Schuster.
• Weinberg, G. L. (1994). A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. Cambridge University Press.
• Dower, J. W. (1999). Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II. W. W. Norton & Company.

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How Can Biden Win the Debate? Trump? Five Tips for Each Candidate.

By New York Times Opinion

Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off Thursday night for the first general-election debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle. Below, two political experts weigh in on what each candidate needs to do to win.

The Five Things Biden Needs to Do

By Chris Whipple

Chris Whipple is the author of “The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House” and “The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency.”

1. Be energetic and engaged. Mr. Trump and his MAGA allies have tried to portray the president as a doddering geriatric who can’t complete a sentence. Simply appearing engaged, alert and coherent will be a victory for Mr. Biden. Mr. Biden would also do well to remember this fact: Incumbent presidents almost always lose the first debate. That’s true of even superlative political talents like Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Among the reasons for this are hubris and lack of practice; incumbent presidents are used to being saluted, not challenged.

2. Drive the contrast with Mr. Trump. Mr. Biden must recast the race from a referendum on his presidency to a stark choice between himself and Mr. Trump. “I used to say to President Obama, ‘If you’re on defense about your record, we’re losing,’” says Jim Messina, who ran Mr. Obama’s winning 2012 campaign. Mr. Biden should remind voters that his predecessor lost more jobs than any president since Herbert Hoover and cut taxes for the ultrawealthy and corporations. He should emphasize: “Donald Trump said he was going to pass an infrastructure bill. He couldn’t. I did. Donald Trump said he was going to bring back manufacturing jobs. He couldn’t. I did . ”

3. Outline a second-term agenda. Voters don’t reward presidents for what they’ve done; they want to know what they’ll do in the future. Mr. Biden should pick up on the American comeback narrative from his State of the Union speech and detail his priorities for a second term: codifying Roe v. Wade; cutting taxes for the middle class; extending student loans; combating climate change; and perhaps above all, making goods and housing affordable for working families. Admit that prices are too high and explain how he’ll bring them down. Mr. Biden can frame the election as a choice between a president who cares about the common good and a felon who cares only about himself and retribution.

4. Stress the threat to reproductive rights and democracy. These have been potent issues for Democrats in recent elections across the country. In November, they will be potent again. Mr. Biden should repeat Mr. Trump’s own words, like the former president’s boast, “ I was able to kill Roe v. Wade ,” and his remark that there should be “some form of punishment” for women who have abortions. If Mr. Trump asserts that he’s leaving abortion to the states, Mr. Biden can reply: “When he says ‘states’ rights’, he really means taking away a woman’s right. It’s code for outlawing abortion.”

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