How to Discover Your Core Values — and Why It Matters
Core values shape every decision you make. Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory explains why people differ so fundamentally in their moral intuitions.
Values — the invisible compass behind every decision
When you made your last major life decision, what was really driving it? Psychologists Jonathan Haidt and Jesse Graham argue that beneath every decision lie moral foundations — deeply held, often unconscious values that define what we consider good, fair, and right.
Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory
The theory proposes six evolutionarily-derived moral foundations:
- Care/Harm: sensitivity to suffering, valuing protection of the vulnerable
- Fairness/Cheating: reciprocity, equal rules, honest dealing
- Loyalty/Betrayal: solidarity with one's group, commitment even under pressure
- Authority/Subversion: respect for hierarchy, tradition, and social order
- Sanctity/Degradation: belief that certain things are sacred and should not be profaned
- Liberty/Oppression: resistance to domination, valuing autonomy and self-determination
Why values differ so dramatically
Haidt showed that differences in moral foundations explain political and cultural conflicts better than rational argument alone. Conservatives and liberals don't just have different arguments — they have different fundamental moral intuitions. Importantly, no value profile is "better" — each reflects adaptive responses to environmental and social challenges.
Why discovering your values matters
Value-life alignment correlates with psychological wellbeing (Schwartz, 2012). When we live against our core values — even when everything looks fine externally — we experience chronic dissatisfaction.
In relationships, value conflicts are the deepest conflicts. In careers, misaligned workplace values cause frustration even when compensation is good.
Take the free Moral Foundations Test at PsychoProfil.pl — discover which of the six foundations shape your decisions and values.