Core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person or organization. These guiding principles dictate behavior and can help people understand the difference between right and wrong. Core values also help companies to determine if they are on the right path and fulfilling their goals by creating an unwavering guide. There are many different types of core values in the world, depending upon the context.

Core Values About Life

Often, when we hear someone discuss why they fell in love with their other half, they will mention that they have the same values. In this case, they are often talking about core values, or internal beliefs that dictate how life should be lived. 

Some examples of core values people might have about life include the following:

• A belief, or lack thereof, in God or an affiliation with a religious/spiritual institution
• A belief in being a good steward of resources and in exercising frugality
• A belief that family is of fundamental importance
• A belief that honesty is always the best policy and that trust has to be earned
• A belief in maintaining a healthy work/life balance

Parents also try to instill these types of positive core values in children in an effort to give them guiding principles for living a good life.

Of course, core values aren’t always positive. Some people may be driven by self-interest or greed, and these are core values, too, if they dictate the way the people live their lives. Negative core values can also develop when people live in fear or insecurity and are forced to focus on survival in difficult circumstances.

Some examples of negative core values include the following:

• A belief that the world is a fundamentally brutal place and that only the strong survive
• A belief that people are powerless to change their fates or personal situations
• A belief that we don’t deserve good things or relationships in life
• A belief that other people are fundamentally untrustworthy and unloving
• A belief that life is meaningless

Some Types of Core Values

There are countless types of core values, as we can see, so we will need to choose the ones that are right for we or our organization. It’s natural to want to choose a long list of core values in an effort to be the best we can be, but limiting our selection to two or three helps we focus on our mission in life without becoming distracted.

Here are some examples of core values from which we may wish to choose:

• Dependability
• Reliability
• Loyalty
• Commitment
• Open-mindedness
• Consistency
• Honesty
• Efficiency
• Innovation
• Creativity
• Good humor
• Compassion
• Spirit of adventure
• Motivation
• Positivity
• Optimism
• Passion
• Respect
• Fitness
• Courage
• Education 
• Perseverance
• Patriotism
• Service to others
• Environmentalism

Reference

Core Values - The Zappos Insights Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.zapposinsights.com/blog/tag/core-values

Core Values List with 500 Examples : Threads. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.threadsculture.com/blog/company-culture/core-values-list-threads/

Core Values | The Global Coworking Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://blog.coworking.com/core-values/