Core values shape our decision-making. They’re our own moral compass, and each person’s core values are specific to them. That said, there’s no such thing as a “wrong” core value! Maybe it’s something you don’t value, but that doesn’t make it any less important to someone else. Similarly, just because it’s not a core value doesn’t mean you don’t give a shit about it. Just because integrity isn’t a core value doesn’t mean you’re going to cheat on tests and lie to friends or whatever. Just because friendship isn’t a core value doesn’t mean you are and want to be always alone and friendless.
You should do this exercise for your entire main and support character cast. Protagonists, villains, everyone—except maybe George at the cash register. Maybe you can if you want, though. They say you should write every character as if they think the story is about them. Finding their core values will help them make choices that reflect their own beliefs, not just decisions contrived to make a point, further the plot, or support the MC. Take your time. Do it for yourself, too, if that helps you get into it. Reflect on whether or not they’re your values. Just because you were raised in a competitive family doesn’t mean you have to value it like you’re expected to.
Preferably, you’ll print this list out. Read through all of them. Then read through again, and checkmark 10 values that matter to you. Finally, on a third read through, place a second checkmark next to five of them. These five are your core values.
Achievement (sense of accomplishment by means of skills, practice, perseverance, or exertion.)
Advancement (moving forward in your career through promotions)
Adventure (work which frequently involves risk taking or travel)
Aesthetic (involved in studying or appreciated the beauty of ideas, things, etc)
Autonomy (work independently, determine the nature of your work without significant direction from others)
Challenge (stimulates full use of your potential)
Change & Variety (varied, frequently changing work responsibilities and/or work settings)
Competition (your abilities against others where there is a clear win/lose outcome)
Cooperation (opportunity to work as a team towards common goals.)
Creativity (being imaginative, innovative, coming up with ideas)
Economic security (having enough money)
Excitement (experience a high degree of, or frequent excitement in your work)
Family happiness (being able to spend quality time and develop relationships and family)
Friendship (develop close personal relationships)
Health (physical and psychological well-being)
Help others (be involved in helping people in a direct way, individually or in a group)
Help society (do something to contribute to improve the world)
Inner harmony (being at peace with oneself)
Integrity (sincerity and honesty)
Intellectual status (be regarded as an expert in your field, thought of as smart
Knowledge (understanding gained through study and experience)
Leadership (influence over others, rather lead than follow)
Leisure (have time for hobbies, sports, activities, and interests)
Location (live somewhere that will fit your lifestyle and allow you to do the things you enjoy most)
Loyalty (steadfastness and allegiance)
Power (authority, control)
Precision (work in situations where there is little tolerance for error)
Responsibility (being accountable for results)
Recognition (getting acknowledged for your contribution)
Stability (work routine and have largely predictable duties, not likely to change over a long period of time)
Spirituality (religion, faith)
Time freedom (flexible work schedule, no specific work hours required)
Wealth (profit, gain, make a lot of money)
Wisdom (accumulation of knowledge)
(you aren’t limited by the values on this list, by the way)
This sort of guideline should lean your character’s choices one way or another. That said, it’s not at all meant to be seen as constraints for your characters. Core values can be a tremendous amount of stress to your character. They bring out what I’ve mentioned before—how people at times seem like paradoxes (remember this post?! Told you it was a topic I’d bring up a lot).
Think about this scenario. Two of your core values are friendship and integrity. Your best friend is going to fail their math class if you don’t help them with the homework! And it’s more than just “helping”… they’re so far behind that they want you to actually do some of their homework for them. Helping them would be friendship. But helping them also goes against integrity. How do you decide? How can you justify putting one value over another? If you choose friendship and help her, you’ll get that knot in your stomach. You know it’s not right to cheat like this, and it stresses you out. If you refuse to help, same thing: you’re feeling terrible for not helping. Friends should always help each other, and you’re letting your own morals damage a friendship that you really value.
In this way, sometimes a character with integrity will make a choice that’s not all that honest. Is it out of character? Paradoxical? From a surface view, yes. But they haven’t abandoned their integrity. In fact, they’re feeling miserable about putting integrity on a back burner. And they’ll continue to feel miserable about it until they find a balance.
Closing thought—core values give your character dimension and depth. A character that values integrity and always, every time without fail chooses to follow the road of integrity is often flat and predictable. So make your character uncomfortable! Make them stress over their decisions. Make them miserable. Only then will they be miserably human like the rest of us.
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