The Ultimate List of Core Values (Over 270)

Every choice you make reveals a deeper pattern—a quiet declaration of what truly matters to you.

When your daily actions align with those inner principles, life feels coherent: energy flows, and decisions come easily.

But when your behavior violates those same principles, friction builds. You lose momentum. Something inside you starts to resist.

That something is your value system asking to be seen.

Core values are the invisible architecture of self‑leadership. They shape how you think, decide, relate, and create meaning. And until they’re made conscious, they quietly run the show.

This guide distills over twenty‑five years of applied psychology, depth work, and systems thinking into a practical reference you can return to again and again—a mirror for inner clarity and direction.

Part of the Self‑Coaching & Frameworks Hub, this in‑depth guide helps you identify, define, and embody your authentic personal values—not as abstract ideals, but as living principles that translate awareness into action.

Let’s dive in …

What Are Core Values?

Values aren’t wish‑lists or moral slogans. They’re the behavioral signatures of consciousness—patterns that express what you find meaningful.

They anchor your attention to what feels right and draw boundaries around what’s not.

To act out of alignment with those values—to gossip when you prize honesty, to chase approval when you value authenticity—carries a psychic cost. Each breach leaves a quiet trace of dissonance that accumulates over time.

Awareness of your values restores coherence. It becomes easier to say “no” to what drains you, and “yes” to what strengthens your integrity.

Ultimately, core values are standards of behavior, representing what matters most to you.

Why Values Drive Psychological Integration

In the discipline of self‑coaching, values transform insight into daily behavior.

They collapse the distance between knowing and being—turning reflection into direction.

Every major psychological system, from Jung’s individuation to Maslow’s self‑actualization, points toward the same principle: integration happens when the outer life reflects the inner one.

That’s what living your values means—alignment between inner truth and visible action.

When actions align with inner standards, you experience coherence, peace, and creative energy.

How to Identify Your Core Values

Finding your values begins with sensitivity: What expands you, excites you, or evokes quiet pride? What behaviors deflate you or feel subtly wrong?

The body tells the truth long before the intellect does. Moments of resonance—admiration, resistance, or relief—signal where your values live.

My 7‑Step Core Values Discovery Process refines this intuitive recognition into clarity:

Reflection → pattern recognition → articulation → prioritization → embodiment.

It’s a structured way to bring unconscious motivations into conscious choice—the cornerstone of all meaningful growth.

Remember: values aren’t chosen; they reveal themselves.

A Values Example in Action

Let’s say one of your deepest drivers is growth. You feel most alive when learning, stretching, or exploring new edges of yourself.

But lately you’ve been caught in reactive work cycles—emails, meetings, and endless small fires. You sense a dull heaviness rising: frustration, even self‑criticism.

The moment you remember that growth is non‑negotiable, everything tightens into clarity.

You might schedule time each morning for reflection or recommit to learning something difficult. This single act realigns your attention, and energy returns instantly.

Values act like tuning forks. When you strike one in resonance, every part of your life begins to hum in key.

How Many Values Should You Have?

This is one of the most frequent questions I hear—and it’s fundamental. When everything becomes “important,” nothing truly is.

Through decades of coaching and observation, I’ve found that five to ten core values create the right balance: enough to reflect your complexity, but few enough to stay memorable and usable.

Start broad, then distill.

Ask yourself:

If I could only keep five values that govern every major decision in my life, which five define my essence?

Clarity doesn’t come from adding—it comes from editing.

Smaller sets also support a central self‑coaching principle: constraint creates coherence.

Just as a musician refines expression through scales, self‑leadership deepens through defined limits.

The Comprehensive Core Values List (270+ Examples)

Below you’ll find the full Core Values List—the most complete field‑tested compilation available online.

Every word here has appeared in real coaching contexts over the past two decades. Treat it not as a catalog but as a mirror.

Scan slowly. Notice what evokes a spark, a sigh, or a quiet sense of recognition. That felt response is the psyche signaling alignment.

Core Values and Examples Organized by Category

Below, the 270 core values are distilled into practical categories.

Each cluster represents a specific psychological drive or life domain.

Use the jumplinks to explore the values that resonate most strongly with you.

But please take these categories loosely. They can change based on the perspective.

Integrity Values

Integrity values anchor our relationship with truth and responsibility. They express reliability, authenticity, and the courage to act in alignment even when no one is watching.

• Accountability
• Candor
• Character
• Chastity
• Commitment
• Dependability
• Dignity
• Honesty
• Honor
• Modesty
• Responsibility
• Sincerity
• Transparency
• Trustworthy
• Truth

Achievement Values

Achievement values reveal the instinct to strive, master, and contribute. They channel ambition into purposeful excellence rather than mere competition.

• Accomplishment
• Achievement
• Capable
• Challenge
• Credibility
• Determination
• Development
• Drive
• Effectiveness
• Empower
• Endurance
• Excellence
• Fame
• Greatness
• Growth
• Hard work
• Improvement
• Influence
• Integrity
• Leadership
• Mastery
• Motivation
• Performance
• Potential
• Productivity
• Professionalism
• Prosperity
• Recognition
• Results-oriented
• Risk
• Significance
• Skill
• Skillfulness
• Status
• Success
• Talent
• Victory
• Wealth
• Winning
• Ambition

Feelings Values

Feeling values govern the emotional tone of our lives—gratitude, empathy, serenity, and joy. They remind us that emotional literacy is a form of intelligence in itself.

• Acceptance
• Comfort
• Compassion
• Contentment
• Empathy
• Encouragement
• Feelings
• Grace
• Gratitude
• Happiness
• Hope
• Inspiring
• Irreverent
• Joy
• Kindness
• Love
• Optimism
• Passion
• Peace
• Poise
• Respect
• Reverence
• Satisfaction
• Serenity
• Thankful
• Tranquility
• Welcoming

Intelligence Values

Intelligence values celebrate learning, understanding, and discernment. They guide how we gather knowledge, think critically, and translate insight into wisdom.

• Brilliance
• Clever
• Common sense
• Foresight
• Frugality
• Genius
• Insightful
• Intelligence
• Knowledge
• Learning
• Logic
• Meaning
• Prudence
• Realistic
• Reason
• Reflective
• Resolution
• Smart
• Thoughtful
• Understanding
• Vision
• Wisdom

Strength Values

Strength values express resilience, confidence, and determination. They help you persevere through challenge and sustain effort with steadiness rather than strain.

• Assertiveness
• Benevolence
• Boldness
• Bravery
• Competence
• Confidence
• Conviction
• Courage
• Dedication
• Directness
• Discipline
• Fearless
• Ferocious
• Fortitude
• Intensity
• Perseverance
• Persistence
• Power
• Reliability
• Restraint
• Rigor
• Self-control
• Strength
• Sustainability
• Temperance
• Tenacious
• Toughness
• Valor
• Willfulness

Spirituality Values

Spirituality values bridge the personal and the transpersonal. They illuminate meaning, connection, and reverence for something greater than the ego’s agenda.

• Adaptability
• Altruism
• Authenticity
• Balance
• Charity
• Communication
• Community
• Consciousness
• Contribution
• Cooperation
• Courtesy
• Detachment
• Devotion
• Equality
• Ethical
• Fairness
• Faith
• Family
• Forgiveness
• Friendship
• Generosity
• Gentleness
• Giving
• Goodness
• Harmony
• Humility
• Integration
• Maturity
• Mysticism
• Piety
• Purpose
• Selfless
• Sensitivity
• Service
• Spirited
• Spirituality
• Stewardship
• Tolerance
• Tradition
• Transcendence
• Unity
• Wholeness

Creativity Values

Creativity values reflect imagination, curiosity, and exploration. They transform constraint into innovation and make self‑expression a path of discovery.

• Creation
• Creativity
• Curiosity
• Discovery
• Exploration
• Expressive
• Flow
• Imagination
• Innovation
• Inquisitive
• Intuitive
• Novelty
• Openness
• Originality
• Uniqueness
• Wonder

Freedom Values

Freedom values awaken independence, adaptability, and self‑direction. They clarify the boundaries within which authentic choice and creativity can thrive.

• Flexibility
• Freedom
• Independence
• Individuality
• Liberty
• Privacy
• Self-reliance

Order Values

Order values center discipline, consistency, and structure. They create the stability that allows freedom to flourish without chaos.

• Accuracy
• Careful
• Certainty
• Cleanliness
• Completion
• Consistency
• Control
• Decisive
• Diligence
• Economy
• Efficiency
• Justice
• Lawful
• Moderation
• Order
• Organization
• Preparedness
• Quality
• Security
• Sobriety
• Stability
• Structure
• Thorough
• Timeliness

Enjoyment Values

Enjoyment values honor vitality, play, and delight. They remind us that fulfillment isn’t merely achievement—it’s the capacity to savor experience.

• Adventure
• Amusement
• Enjoyment
• Enthusiasm
• Experience
• Fulfillment
• Fun
• Humor
• Playfulness
• Recreation
• Spontaneous
• Surprise

Presence Values

Presence values emphasize mindfulness, awareness, and inner stillness. They return attention to the now—the only moment through which transformation is possible.

• Alertness
• Attentive
• Awareness
• Beauty
• Calm
• Clear
• Concentration
• Equanimity
• Focus
• Grounded
• Patience
• Present
• Silence
• Simplicity
• Solitude
• Stillness

Health Values

Health values integrate body, mind, and environment. They affirm that well-being is both foundational and an expression of a conscious life.

• Energy
• Health
• Holism
• Longevity
• Radience
• Thrive
• Vigor
• Vitality
• Well-Being
• Wellness

Relationship Values

Relationship values nurture empathy, trust, and reciprocity in every connection. They remind us that conscious relationships are built not on obligation, but on mutual growth and wholehearted care.

• Caring
• Concord
• Connection
• Consideration
• Fidelity
• Helpfulness
• Loyalty
• Sharing
• Support
• Teamwork
• Trust

Integrating Values into Daily Life

The discovery itself is only act one; integration is what turns ideals into movement.

Values come alive in the small, consistent choices—how you speak, plan, delegate, eat, rest, and create.

When decisions reflect your authentic standards, the nervous system relaxes. Life feels simpler, not smaller.

Over time, you stop chasing motivation because your actions have become their own reward. That’s self‑coaching in its mature form: clarity embodied.

Living Your Core Values Daily

Knowing your core values changes nothing if they stay on paper. Living them turns insight into evidence—it’s how awareness becomes self‑trust.

Every time you act in alignment with what you hold sacred, your nervous system registers coherence.

Decision‑making simplifies; anxiety declines. Life stops feeling like problem‑solving and starts feeling like authorship.

True transformation doesn’t happen through intensity—it happens through constancy. Small daily acts performed with integrity compound faster than any burst of willpower.

Pause before major choices and ask one concise question:

Does this honor my values or contradict them?

Make that your new default reflex.

Over time, it builds the psychological equivalent of muscle memory: reflexive congruence between your inner truth and outer behavior.

The Self‑Leadership Continuum

Core values occupy the bridge between self‑awareness and self‑actualization.

They’re how purpose becomes process—the link between meaning and measurable action.

In CEOsage language, this is structural growth. Values clarify your architecture: the framework through which energy, creativity, and integrity can flow without distortion.

Once defined, that structure supports adaptability under pressure—a prerequisite for genuine leadership and conscious living alike.

When decisions exhaust you, revisit this list. You’re not indecisive; you’re likely being held hostage by competing, unconscious values. Naming them dissolves confusion faster than discipline ever will.

Continue Your Discovery

If reading this guide ignited curiosity, take it deeper with the 7‑Step Core Values Discovery Process—a structured reflection from awareness → articulation → embodiment.

Ready to live your values each day?

Explore the full Values Workshop: an intensive, guided experience to translate ideals into coherent daily practice.

Thousands have used this process to dissolve internal conflict and restore integrity. There’s no better place to begin your next chapter of self‑leadership.

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