Summary

The website content discusses the importance of personal values, detailing how and why individuals should establish their own set of principles to guide their lives, drawing inspiration from Benjamin Franklin's thirteen virtues.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the significance of having personal values, drawing from the author's experience of reading Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography and his concept of thirteen virtues. It suggests that, much like a company with a clear 'why' for existing, individuals benefit from having a set of values to inform their decisions and behaviors. The author reflects on their own journey of introspection to define personal values, such as punctuality, honesty, non-violence, optimism, and providing structure, and how these values are essential for self-growth, decision-making, and maintaining one's identity during challenging times. The article also touches on the influence of external factors like religion and culture on one's moral compass, advocating for internally motivated values that align with one's beliefs and actions.

Opinions

The author believes that having absolute values is crucial for personal decision-making and behavior, similar to how corporate values guide company decisions.
There is an opinion that values bestowed by external sources, such as religion, may not be as effective as personally chosen values in providing consistent motivation and guidance.
The author suggests that personal values should be aspirational and used as tools for character development, akin to Franklin's approach to his virtues.
The article posits that values should be reflected in actions, and thus it is beneficial if they can be expressed as verbs.
The author expresses a personal pet peeve about people being late, highlighting the value of punctuality and respect for others' time.
There is a view that values such as non-violence and optimism are not only personal principles but also contribute to broader human progression and well-being.
The author indicates a belief in karma, suggesting that the treatment of others and the avoidance of causing suffering are important personal values.

How and Why You Should Set Values for Yourself

Don’t Rely on An External Moral Compass

A little while ago, I got to reading Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography. I haven’t finished it, but I got over halfway through before I was distracted by other books demanding my attention. It was quite a read through, especially looking at it from a British perspective.

While I was reading it, I became fascinated with Franklin’s little book of thirteen virtues. I realised I lacked in having any kind of absolute values to live my life by. I was brought up in an atheistic household, so religion didn’t have direct sway on my moral compass, but I still felt like I knew right from wrong. In this, I can’t deny the influence of living in a predominately Christian country.

But Why is Having Values Important?

Coming from a background of marketing academics, I tend to veer towards the idea of corporate values. A company without a set of values has, to use Simon Sinek’s terminology, not found a ‘why’ for existing.

You’ll find most companies has some kind of values they adhere to have a benchmark to measure themselves against. On the flip-side, companies that don’t have any sort of defined values, typically don’t last very long because they don’t have any basis for forming decisions.

But let’s get personal here, I’m talking about you defining values for yourself, not a company. Why is that important?

Well, just like a company, having values helps to set a foundation from which you can make decisions about your life — whether that be a career change, a change in your family life or the smaller decisions like whether to keep gossip to yourself or not.

Having values also inform our behaviour. You might not realise it consciously yet, but most people have some kind of ‘line’ they don’t cross in many actions. Committing violent crime usually crosses the line for most people, but why? Because as a species, we generally value peace and prosperity.

Religion as a Moral Compass

I won’t go into too much detail on this point since I was brought up atheistic, there’s a lot I could say which could be inaccurate. What I will say is I realise each religion (I know of) has its own set of values it expects followers to uphold. However, it would still prove beneficial to carve your personal values from the stone.

The reason behind that is external motivation only ever takes you so far. In most circumstances, an external motivator might not see you through ultimately. For example, a lot of people give up writing here because their external motivator is money, whereas those who have internal motivations tend to stick around and prosper.

In the sense of values, having them bestowed upon you by an external force, i.e. a religion (or even a set of strict parents), they tend to waver because they aren’t yours. However, that’s not to say your personal values can’t overlap with them.

How Do You Set Values For Yourself?

After reading more about Franklin’s thirteen virtues, I set about trying to figure out what I valued most in life in terms of how I should conduct myself. I sat in deep introspection, journaling. I asked myself questions like:

What character traits or behaviours do I typically find inexcusable? If a person I knew displayed these traits, would I still want them in my life? (Then think of the opposite of those traits as values)
What character traits or behaviours give me joy?
What do I think is essential for self-growth or learning?
Which kinds of behaviours do I think are important for human progression?
Which behaviours would I most likely uphold regardless of trying times?
Lastly, can the value be expressed as a verb? i.e. something I do?

With questions like those in mind, as well as the thirteen virtues as a stepping stone, I came up with my own five values. Of course, these are personal to me, you might find five to be too little or too much, or you’ll probably find you prioritise things differently to me. Each comes with a bit of explanation.

In no particular order:

Always be Early or On Time. I value my time significantly, and I appreciate other people also value their time. Therefore it is crucial to be punctual as best as possible to not waste it. It’s a pet peeve of mine when people are unnecessarily late.
Do the Right Thing. In Buddhism, honesty comes under a few of the “Eightfold Path(s)” — Right Speech and Right Intentions. Lying does a disservice to oneself not just in speech or action, but also in thought. Doing the right thing means having honest expression and intentions.
Be Non-Violent. “Thou shalt not kill” anyone? I did say you can have overlap. I don’t want to cause suffering for anyone else, though for me this also extends to animal life. I’m a firm believer in the idea of that which you put into the world you shall receive — i.e. Karma.
See the Silver Lining. Due in part to the point above, I’m generally optimistic by nature. After suffering from a horrific childhood clinical depression, I became grateful for simply being alive. Therefore, I also try to surround myself with those who also share optimism and avoid those who are unnecessarily cynical.
Provide Structure. For me, providing structure is crucial, whether that be my time, a project or a plan for an event. Don’t get me wrong, spontaneity can be fun, but only against a backdrop of an otherwise structured reality. This value could also be bolstered by Franklin’s idea of ‘order’ to include physical order, though this has been falling on the wayside.

These are things I already value and practice daily, though having them set in words as personal values, gives me a sense of pride. I know that whatever happens in my life, I can fall back on these values and still be true to myself.

Something essential to note about having values is that they can also be aspirational, in that you can work towards them — much like Franklin tried with his virtues. In the way he used them to build his character, you too can use your values/virtues to do the same.