Values are what we care about – wants, needs, likes, and dislikes.
They cause us to prefer the consequences of one alternative decision over another. Frequently, we find decisions difficult to make because none of the alternative actions can satisfy all our values.
Values are what we care about – wants, needs, likes, and dislikes. They cause us to prefer the consequences of one alternative decision over another.
Frequently, we find decisions difficult to make because none of the alternative actions can satisfy all our values. Such decisions involve trade-offs to define which value is more important in the instance. For example, in choosing a job, we might trade off salary with how much we like the position and how it contributes to the community. Or, in buying a used car, we might trade off saving money with paying for a warranty.
Too often, people make poor decisions by overemphasizing the short term (e.g., buy it now because it’s cheap) and underemphasizing the long-term (e.g., too much credit card debt). Further, we may forget to consider a value that is really important, such as how our decision will affect those we care about. Another point to consider is that sometimes we don’t really know what we truly want. Our values may be in transition. In that case, efforts to clarifying our values are crucial to making quality decisions.
Ask yourself
Ask your head
Ask your heart
Tools and good practice
Traps to avoid