A list of personal values
These are the 83 values in the Personal Values Card Sort, each with the short meaning printed on its card. Reading a list like this is a good start. Sorting it tells you more, because choosing one value over another is what shows you your priorities.
All 83 values, A to Z
- Acceptance
- to be accepted as I am
- Accuracy
- to be accurate in my opinions and beliefs
- Achievement
- to have important accomplishments
- Adventure
- to have new and exciting experiences
- Attractiveness
- to be physically attractive
- Authority
- to be in charge of and responsible for others
- Autonomy
- to be self-determined and independent
- Beauty
- to appreciate beauty around me
- Caring
- to take care of others
- Challenge
- to take on difficult tasks and problems
- Change
- to have a life full of change and variety
- Comfort
- to have a pleasant and comfortable life
- Commitment
- to make enduring, meaningful commitments
- Compassion
- to feel and act on concern for others
- Contribution
- to make a lasting contribution in the world
- Cooperation
- to work collaboratively with others
- Courtesy
- to be considerate and polite toward others
- Creativity
- to have new and original ideas
- Dependability
- to be reliable and trustworthy
- Duty
- to carry out my duties and obligations
- Ecology
- to live in harmony with the environment
- Excitement
- to have a life full of thrills and stimulation
- Faithfulness
- to be loyal and true in relationships
- Fame
- to be known and recognized
- Family
- to have a happy, loving family
- Fitness
- to be physically fit and strong
- Flexibility
- to adjust to new circumstances easily
- Forgiveness
- to be forgiving of others
- Friendship
- to have close, supportive friends
- Fun
- to play and have fun
- Generosity
- to give what I have to others
- Genuineness
- to act in a manner that is true to who I am
- God's Will
- to seek and obey the will of God
- Growth
- to keep changing and growing
- Health
- to be physically well and healthy
- Helpfulness
- to be helpful to others
- Honesty
- to be honest and truthful
- Hope
- to maintain a positive and optimistic outlook
- Humility
- to be modest and unassuming
- Humor
- to see the humorous side of myself and the world
- Independence
- to be free from dependence on others
- Industry
- to work hard and well at my life tasks
- Inner Peace
- to experience personal peace
- Intimacy
- to share my innermost experiences with others
- Justice
- to promote fair and equal treatment for all
- Knowledge
- to learn and contribute valuable knowledge
- Leisure
- to take time to relax and enjoy
- Loved
- to be loved by those close to me
- Loving
- to give love to others
- Mastery
- to be competent in my everyday activities
- Mindfulness
- to live conscious and mindful of the present moment
- Moderation
- to avoid excesses and find a middle ground
- Monogamy
- to have one close, loving relationship
- Non-Conformity
- to question and challenge authority and norms
- Nurturance
- to take care of and nurture others
- Openness
- to be open to new experiences, ideas, and options
- Order
- to have a life that is well-ordered and organized
- Passion
- to have deep feelings about ideas, activities, or people
- Pleasure
- to feel good
- Popularity
- to be well-liked by many people
- Power
- to have control over others
- Purpose
- to have meaning and direction in my life
- Rationality
- to be guided by reason and logic
- Realism
- to see and act realistically and practically
- Responsibility
- to make and carry out responsible decisions
- Risk
- to take risks and chances
- Romance
- to have intense, exciting love in my life
- Safety
- to be safe and secure
- Self-Acceptance
- to accept myself as I am
- Self-Control
- to be disciplined in my own actions
- Self-Esteem
- to feel good about myself
- Self-Knowledge
- to have a deep and honest understanding of myself
- Service
- to be of service to others
- Sexuality
- to have an active and satisfying sex life
- Simplicity
- to live life simply, with minimal needs
- Solitude
- to have time and space where I can be apart from others
- Spirituality
- to grow and mature spiritually
- Stability
- to have a life that stays fairly consistent
- Tolerance
- to accept and respect those who differ from me
- Tradition
- to follow respected patterns of the past
- Virtue
- to live a morally pure and excellent life
- Wealth
- to have plenty of money
- World Peace
- to work to promote peace in the world
Using the list
Most people agree with nearly everything on a list like this. Honesty, family, and health all sound important, and they are. The more useful question is which ones matter most to you, and which ones you would give something up for.
One simple way in is to read the list once without stopping and notice which words make you pause. Then choose the ten that feel most like you and narrow those to five. For each of your five, think of something you did in the past week that lived it out, and something that didn't.
The card sort on this site walks you through the same thing, one value at a time. You place every card as Very Important, Important, or Not Important to me, then narrow your top pile to five and rank them. Most people take 15 to 25 minutes, and nothing you choose leaves your device.
Therapists can print the full deck and a recording worksheet from the For Therapists page.
Where the list comes from
William R. Miller, Janet C'de Baca, Daniel B. Matthews, and Paula L. Wilbourne created the Personal Values Card Sort at the University of New Mexico in 2001 and released it into the public domain, so anyone can use it. It grew out of Motivational Interviewing, and it is now used widely in values work across therapy approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. The research page tells the longer story.
The card sort also has a youth deck with values from Values Card Sort for Kids by Aria E. Fiat, PhD. You can choose it before you start.