Value is the significance, importance, usefulness and benefit of something. Outwardly, it appears as one of the properties of objects or phenomena. But their usefulness and significance are not inherent in them due to their internal structure, that is, they are not given by nature, they are nothing more than subjective assessments of specific properties involved in the field of social existence. People are interested in them and need them. The Constitution of the Russian Federation states that the highest value is the person himself, his freedom and rights.
Use of the concept of value in various sciences
Depending on what kind of science is studying this phenomenon in society, there are several approaches to its use. So, for example, philosophy considers the concept of value as follows: it is the socio-cultural, personal significance of specific objects. In psychology, value is understood as all those objects of the society surrounding an individual that are valuable to him. This term in this case is closely related to motivation. But in sociology, values are understood as those concepts that name sets of goals, states, and phenomena that are worthy of people striving for. As you can see, in this case there is a connection with motivation. In addition, from the point of view of these social sciences, there are the following types of values: material and spiritual. The latter are also called eternal values. They are not tangible, but sometimes they have much greater significance for society than all material objects combined. Of course, they have nothing to do with economics. In this science, the concept of value is considered as the cost of objects. At the same time, two types of it are distinguished: use value and exchange value. The former represent one or another value for consumers depending on the degree of utility of the product or its ability to satisfy human needs, and the latter are valuable because they are suitable for exchange, and the degree of their significance is determined by the ratio that is obtained in an equivalent exchange. That is, the more a person is aware of his dependence on a given object, the higher its value. People living in cities are entirely dependent on money because they need it to purchase the most necessary goods, namely food. For rural residents, financial dependence is not as great as in the first case, since they can obtain the products necessary for life regardless of the availability of money, for example, from their own garden.
What it is
Each of us has unique guidelines, thanks to which we understand what is more and what is less important, what is acceptable and what is not. This is a set of beliefs, ideals and principles that we follow when performing a particular action. Using these internal "quality standards" you can determine what is most significant in your personal universe
Using these internal “standards of excellence” you can determine what is most meaningful in your personal universe.
Sometimes a person establishes these coordinates himself, relying on his experience, and sometimes they are acquired by him from the outside with the easy supply of society and firmly grow into his worldview. If an individual betrays his basic attitudes, he will face intrapersonal conflict, which will entail a state of depression.
Definition of the concept and signs
Life values are a kind of absolute that occupies a primary position in worldview. We are guided by them, setting certain goals for ourselves, and through their prism we evaluate our actions, desires, as well as the behavior of other people. With their help we set priorities.
To become a value guide, an existing phenomenon of reality must receive an emotional response and a rational explanation of its significance for a particular person. Therefore, you cannot impose your coordinate system on another.
In the process of formation and development of personality, values can and will certainly change. In childhood, some things come to the fore, in youth, others, and in adulthood, absolutely opposite ones. A person’s priorities directly depend on the events he experiences and the influence of certain ideas on him. Some situations can turn your mind around, look at your life from a different angle and completely rethink your hierarchy of guidelines.
List of main features of value attitudes
Significance
They have weight and importance in the eyes of the one who owns them. At all costs, the owner strives to comply with and protect them.
Awareness
As a rule, people are aware of what is important to them. Based on this understanding, they build a certain model of behavior, which they adapt to existing internal norms and rules with the help of self-control and self-discipline.
Self-sufficiency. Personal guidelines do not need the approval or advice of others. Positive character. These beliefs are not perceived by the individual as obligations. They are not burdensome, but evoke only positive emotions.
Different definitions of values
The simplest definition of this concept is the statement that values are all those objects and phenomena that can satisfy human needs. They can be material, that is, tangible, or they can be abstract, like love, happiness, etc. By the way, the set of values that are inherent in a particular person or group is called a value system. Without it, any culture would be meaningless. But here is another definition of value: it is the objective significance of the variety of components (properties and attributes of a particular object or phenomenon) of reality, which are determined by the interests and needs of people. The main thing is that they are necessary for a person. However, value and significance are not always equivalent. After all, the first can be not only positive, but also negative, but value is always positive. Something that satisfies people’s needs cannot be negative, although here everything is relative...
Representatives of the Austrian school believe that basic values are a specific amount of goods or benefits that are necessary to satisfy human needs. The more a person realizes his dependence on the presence of a given object, the higher its value. In short, the relationship between quantity and need is important here. According to this theory, goods that exist in unlimited quantities, for example, water, air, etc., do not have special significance because they are non-economic. But goods, the quantity of which does not satisfy needs, that is, there are fewer of them than needed, are of real value. This view has both many supporters and opponents who fundamentally disagree with this opinion.
Problems in the value-semantic sphere
If everything is not in order in the value-semantic sphere of the individual, other structures of the psyche will also suffer. And most importantly, the quality of life will significantly decrease. Let's look at possible problems.
- Conflict of several values
There are situations when life priorities come into conflict with each other. This can lead to acute intrapersonal conflict, which will deplete the person.
For example, a young man has two priorities in life: love and creativity. He plays in a rock band and is in a relationship with his beloved and loving girl. But a situation arises in which he has to choose between them. A guy is offered a five-year contract in another country with great prospects, but his girlfriend cannot go with him. The choice for him will be very difficult and painful.
- Realization of other people's values
I wrote above that a person first assimilates a collective system of values, and then, based on it, forms his own. It is very important that there are no distortions in either direction. That is, the personal should not contradict the collective, and the collective should not suppress the personal.
For example, a girl grew up in a religious family, where her parents took all the rules and rituals very seriously. But the girl did not feel the same need in her soul. She wanted to live an ordinary social life, to rejoice and have fun, as all her peers did. But fear and guilt before my parents forced me to accept their lifestyle and limit myself in my desires.
- Destructive ways to realize values
The ways in which a person realizes his priorities should not run counter to the law and moral standards, and should not cause harm to the person himself, other people and nature.
For example, the value of “material wealth” cannot be realized through theft, while the value of “pleasure and entertainment” cannot be realized through taking drugs.
Changeability of values
This philosophical category has a social nature, since it is formed in the process of practice. In this regard, values tend to change over time. What was significant for this society may not be so for the next generation. And we see this from our own experience. If you look back into the past, you will notice that the values of the generations of our parents and ours differ in many ways from each other.
How are they formed?
A value system begins to take shape in childhood during the process of education and life. to change your own views and beliefs, being a mature, formed personality . The main factors influencing the formation of internal attitudes:
- Family education. The most important source of the formation of a child’s internal attitudes is the upbringing of parents. If parents constantly demonstrate certain patterns of behavior, then the child is more likely to accept these patterns and apply them later in his life.
- Education in kindergarten, school. The role of educational institutions in the development of the value system of the younger generation is difficult to overestimate.
Children of preschool and school age often spend more time with caregivers and teachers than with their own parents. Most often, children receive information from those teachers who enjoy their respect and trust. - Social norms. Society dictates certain standards of behavior to its members. Violation of these norms is fraught with condemnation from other people.
- Self-knowledge . The mechanism of self-knowledge plays a huge role in the development of personality and in the formation of behavior patterns. Changing life attitudes in adulthood is possible only as a result of complex self-analysis. It allows a person to determine his real views and beliefs that do not coincide with the imposed stereotypes in the family or in society.
How to get out of your comfort zone? Advice from psychologists will help you!
Main types of values
As noted above, the main types of values are material (life-enhancing) and spiritual. The latter give a person moral satisfaction. The main types of material assets are the simplest goods (housing, food, household items, clothing, etc.) and goods of a higher order (means of production). However, both contribute to the functioning of society, as well as to improving the quality of life of its members. And people need spiritual values for the formation and further development of their worldviews, as well as their worldview. They contribute to the spiritual enrichment of the individual.
How to apply the created priorities?
Very often, without realizing it, a person may ignore his own basic values (for example, family or hobbies) due to social pressure and the illusory desire for success.
After realizing your own values, it is usually easy to build a hierarchy of priorities, assess your own strengths and weaknesses, and identify potential directions for development and a harmonious life.
Psychology also emphasizes the importance of constantly reminding yourself of what values are important and meaningful to yourself.
Such a reminder is an important technique that always helps you stay on the right path, not get upset over trifles, and maintain your dignity in stressful situations.
The role of values in the life of society
This category, in addition to representing some significance for society, also plays a certain role. For example, a person’s mastery of various values contributes to the acquisition of social experience, as a result of which he becomes involved in culture, and this, in turn, affects the formation of his personality. Another important role of values in society is that a person strives to create new goods, while preserving old ones that already exist. In addition, the value of thoughts, actions, and various things is expressed in how important they are for the process of social development, that is, the progress of society. And on a personal level – human development and self-improvement.
Personal Beliefs
In psychology, beliefs are understood as a person’s system of views on the world and his place in it, on relationships with other people and attitude to business. Beliefs are formed throughout an individual's life under the influence of the social environment and personal experience.
The dominant role is played by the social factor; therefore, the foundations of beliefs are laid in our consciousness by society. The authority of the source and the faith factor are of great importance. Children trust their parents and teachers; they are authorities for them, and therefore have a decisive influence on the formation of their worldview. And adults believe in politicians (although they don’t always admit it), the media, authoritative friends and books. It is these sources that have the most noticeable influence on a person’s beliefs.
However, it is also impossible to call a person a passive object of social influence. He passes through himself and processes any information, correlates it with existing experience and significant values. Therefore, we can say that beliefs are a kind of fusion of the social and the individual.
Beliefs play an important role in a person's life. They largely determine his social position and personality orientation. Beliefs are also closely related to life goals and attitudes.
Classification
There are several classifications. For example, by type of needs. According to it, a distinction is made between material and spiritual values. But according to their significance, the latter are false and true. Classification is also carried out according to areas of activity, depending on their carrier, and according to the time of action. According to the first, they distinguish between economic, religious and aesthetic, the second - universal, group and personal values, and the third - eternal, long-term, short-term and momentary. In principle, there are other classifications, but they are too narrow.
Material and spiritual values
We have already talked about the first ones above; everything is clear with them. These are all the material goods that surround us, which make our life possible. As for the spiritual, they are components of the inner world of people. And the initial categories here are good and evil. The former contribute to happiness, and the latter – everything that leads to destruction and is the cause of discontent and misfortune. Spiritual ones are true values. However, to be such, they must coincide with significance.
Social or collective values of a person
A person’s social values are twofold: for some they are primary and extremely important (politicians, actors, clergy, world-class scientific researchers), for others, on the contrary, they do not play any role, and a person absolutely does not care what others think about him or what his position is. he ranks on the social ladder.
All types of social values are divided into several types:
Political + level of the social ladder: for some people it is extremely important to stand at the helm of power, to be respected and revered by everyone.
Communicative – it is important for the vast majority of people to belong to some group or cell, be it “Hare Krishna” or a circle of cross-stitch lovers. Communication based on interests gives a feeling of being in demand, and therefore important for the world.
Religious: For many people, belief in divine powers and associated rituals in daily life provide a basis for later life.
Natural-economic (environment-oriented): few people want to live in environmentally hazardous areas, places with heavy gas pollution or seismically hazardous areas - this is an indicator of personal natural values. At the same time, the concern of humanity as a whole for the environment is also included in this section, as is the conservation of rare animal species.
Religious and aesthetic values
Religion is based on unconditional faith in God, and it does not require any proof. Values in this area are guidelines in the lives of believers, which are determined by the norms and motives of their actions and behavior in general. And aesthetic values are everything that gives a person pleasure. They are directly related to the concept of “beauty”. They are associated with creativity, with art. Beauty is the main category of aesthetic value. Creative people devote their lives to creating beauty, not only for themselves, but also for others, wanting to bring true joy, delight, and admiration to others.
How a person’s behavior changes if you know personal values
The value system of each person is able to show what is natural and acceptable for him, and, on the contrary, what a person is not able to tolerate. Therefore, if you know the personal values of each person, then this knowledge can have a double meaning.
Firstly, they help to maximize a person’s professional potential, and secondly, they can also be successfully manipulated.
Thus, if you know a person’s personal values, it helps to predict his behavior, understand priorities and aspirations in his career, relationships, and self-development.
Personal values
Each person has his own personal orientation. And they can be radically different for different people. What is significant in the eyes of one may not be valuable to another. For example, classical music, which brings lovers of this genre into a state of ecstasy, may seem boring and uninteresting to someone. The values of an individual are greatly influenced by factors such as upbringing, education, social circle, environment, etc. Of course, the family has the strongest impact on the individual. This is the environment in which a person begins his primary development. He receives his first idea of values in his family (group values), but with age he may accept some of them and reject others.
The following types of values are considered personal:
- those that are components of the meaning of human life;
- the most common semantic formations that are based on reflexes;
- beliefs that relate to desirable behavior or the completion of something;
- objects and phenomena to which the individual has a weakness or is simply not indifferent;
- what is important to every person and what he considers his property.
These are the types of personal values.
Features of the formation of a system of life values
The system of life values of each person begins to form from the first years of his life, but it is finally formed only upon reaching a responsible age, i.e. by about 18-20 years, although even after that it may change in some ways. The process of its formation itself takes place according to a certain algorithm.
Schematically, this algorithm can be expressed as follows:
- Aspiration > Ideal
- Aspiration > Goal > Ideal
- Aspiration > Values > Purpose > Ideal
- Aspiration > Means > Values > Goal > Ideal
However, subsequently, between all these points, another one appears - ethics, as a result of which the whole scheme takes on the following form:
- Striving > Ethics > Means > Ethics > Values > Ethics > Goal > Ethics > Ideal
From this it turns out that first of all, the ideal and the very desire for this ideal arise. An ideal, which can also be called an image, if there is no desire for it, is no longer such.
At the first stage, which is most often instinctive, the ideal is neutral from an ethical point of view, i.e. it cannot be assessed in any way, and it can be formed in the form of a sensory-emotional substance, the content of which is quite difficult to determine. The meaning that is attached to the ideal is formed only at the stage of transformation into a goal. And only after this, reaching the third stage, values are formed that serve as resources, conditions and rules for achieving the goal that leads to the ideal. And the entire algorithm ultimately ends with the so-called inventory of the necessary and available means to achieve the goal.
Each element of the presented algorithm is extremely important, but you need to pay attention to the fact that the ideal, goal and means are formed and selected under the influence of not only needs, but also ethical norms, which seem to “filter” all stages of the algorithm. At the same time, ethical standards may exist in the human mind, as well as in the mass consciousness, representing the results of the action of previous algorithms, and therefore be perceived as “existing objectively.” In addition, they can also be formed as new ones, being conditioned by a newly emerged ideal and the corresponding algorithm.
The life of any person, as we have already mentioned, from childhood begins to obey this algorithm, and it does not matter what it concerns: the choice of a future profession, a loved one, political or religious views and actions performed. And here “ideals” play a special role, regardless of whether they exist in a person’s consciousness or in his subconscious.
To summarize, we can say that a person’s system of life values is a fairly stable structure, despite the fact that it is subject to changes, both small and global. And a person’s awareness of his system of life values is the first step towards understanding his life purpose.
We also recommend reading:
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- Graves' Spiral Dynamics: Pathways to Human Development
- 7-S structure
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- Axiology
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- Definition of values
- Brian Tracy: "Live Simpler": Key Ideas
Key words:1Self-knowledge
A new approach to defining values
Values are opinions (beliefs). Some scientists think so. According to them, these are biased and cold ideas. But when they begin to activate, they mix with feelings, and at the same time receive a certain color. Others believe that the main values are the goals that people strive for - equality, freedom, welfare. It is also a way of behavior that contributes to the achievement of these goals: mercy, empathy, honesty, etc. According to the same theory, true values should act as certain standards guiding the assessment or choice of people, actions and events.
Practice "Comparison"
Take a piece of paper, a pen and write down the seven values that first came to your mind. It may become more difficult at the third point, but you can’t stop. If it doesn’t work out at all, sit comfortably, relax, breathe, meditate, look out the window - get distracted and return to the list again.
Have you written seven points? Now it's time to compare them. Compare the first with the second - next to the one you like better, put a tick
It is important at this time to rely not on the mind, but on your feelings. Try to feel the internal reaction to each point: cold, warm, breathing harder or easier... So compare all points sequentially: the first - with the second, with the third, with the fourth, with the fifth..., the second - with the third, with the fourth, with the fifth... After After comparing all the items and checking all the boxes, see which item has more of them
This will be the greatest value in your life, the one you most often rely on.
This is a simple but very powerful way because when you focus on values, they start working. Everything that “turns you on” is your energy potential, because values are like the sun, which charges you with new energy. Value is a tool that helps you understand everything.
If after completing the practice you feel unsure that you have determined your own values, and not those imposed by society, parents, or the environment, extend the practice for a longer period. Every other day, write a list of 20 values and compare them. Gradually you will find exactly those that will resonate within you and you will understand that they are yours.
