According to the Oxford Dictionary, values are “principles or standards of behaviour; one’s judgement of what is important in life.”
And so true! Your personal values are your central beliefs, guiding your decision-making and actions, helping you to create a fulfilling life. They are intrinsically linked to your sense of self and consequently your mental wellbeing, and so it is imperative that your actions align with your values. It’s when we’re not able to honour our values that we feel conflicted, which can lead to mental health issues.
In this series we are exploring personal values in terms of the different levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, with this blog in particular focussing on ‘love and belonging’. Naturally, human beings are social creatures that crave interaction with others and so this level of Maslow’s Hierarchy speaks to our need for human connection, intimacy and love.
It’s important to note that there is a difference between end values (those that we seek to attain and live with) and means values (those which help us achieve our end values). So, while an end value may be acceptance by a chosen group, the means to get there would be: engaging with the community, appreciating and being appreciated by members of said group, collaborating with the group in some way. If an end value is happiness, the means may be building relationships with family and friends, being attentive to relationships and taking part in fun experiences. If an end value is patience, part of the means would need to be trust, understanding and tolerance. If an end value is love, the means values are compassion and empathy for others, to be kind and helpful to individuals and to be loyal.
Of course, not everyone has the same end goals when it comes to ‘love’ and ‘belonging’ and the above are merely examples. There are many more, as well as many more means values.
If you find this subject of interest, visit Why Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs Matters – YouTube and do look out for more of our blogs over the coming weeks.
And should you feel you’d like to talk to us about how you might discover and start honouring your values, Quandary Pond is just a phone call away. Get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, check out our infographic below!
This is the third blog in our series on ‘Human Values’. Read the others:
