Core values list: 60 personal values, and how to choose your top five
A long core values list is easy to find. Choosing from it is the hard part, because almost every value sounds good. Here are 60 values grouped by the ten basic values that research finds across cultures, and a four-step method to cut to five you can actually use in a decision.
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Why values matter more than goals
Goals tell you what to chase; values tell you which chase is worth it. When a decision is hard, it is usually because two values collide: security and adventure, income and time. Knowing your order settles it before the decision arrives.
The ten basic values behind the list
Social psychologist Shalom Schwartz identified ten basic personal values recognized across cultures, with evidence from 82 countries (Schwartz, 2012). Each group below names one of the ten, with six everyday values that sit close to it.
| Basic value | Core values that sit close to it |
|---|---|
| Self-direction | Autonomy, curiosity, creativity, independence, freedom, originality |
| Stimulation | Adventure, variety, challenge, excitement, courage, novelty |
| Hedonism | Enjoyment, pleasure, fun, ease, comfort, play |
| Achievement | Success, competence, ambition, excellence, influence, mastery |
| Power | Wealth, authority, status, leadership, control, recognition |
| Security | Stability, health, safety, order, belonging, reliability |
| Conformity | Self-discipline, politeness, duty, respect, restraint, obedience |
| Tradition | Faith, humility, heritage, devotion, modesty, acceptance |
| Benevolence | Loyalty, honesty, kindness, forgiveness, responsibility, friendship |
| Universalism | Justice, equality, wisdom, peace, nature, tolerance |
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Take the free career test →How to choose your top five
- Circle ten. Go fast; pick the words that make you react.
- Cut to five. For each pair, ask which you would keep if you could keep only one.
- Rank them. Order matters: it decides collisions.
- Test them on a real decision. If your ranking would not change what you do, rewrite it.
Where values usually go wrong
- Aspirational values. Picking who you think you should be.
- Too many. Ten values decide nothing.
- Never tested. A value that never costs you anything is a preference.
Values alignment check
Rate each statement as it is for you now. 1 means not true; 5 means very true.
1 = not true · 5 = very true
A reflection prompt, not a psychological test or advice. Your answers stay in your browser; if you continue to the free chapter, only your total is added to the link.
Use your values to choose work
The free career test asks for your top five work values in order, such as security, autonomy, purpose or income, and scores 129 careers on how well they tend to reward them, alongside your skills and interests.
Do it with others. A change is easier to hold when other people see your progress. In a meta-analysis of 138 studies, people who reported their progress publicly or recorded it reached their goals more often (Harkin and colleagues, 2016). Vcom is 12 months of self-directed accountability among professionals who work from the same model, so you are not redesigning your life alone.
Questions about core values
How many core values should I have?
Five is a workable number: enough to cover what matters, few enough to decide with.
Can my core values change?
They tend to be stable but shift with major life stages. Revisit them yearly or after a big change.
What is the difference between values and principles?
Values are what matters to you; principles are the rules you follow to honor them.
Sources
- Schwartz, S. H. (2012). An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1). Source
Checked October 16, 2026. Evidence labels follow the APSP evidence tiers. Educational content; not therapy or professional advice.
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