I say this all the time—one of the biggest issues people face at work is a values clash. Whether it’s with the organization, their boss, or both, when your core values are out of sync, no amount of managing or “managing up” can fix it. It’s a fundamental mismatch. I think that’s a big reason so many people are unhappy in their jobs. What they need and want just doesn’t align with what their employer or manager is offering.
Honestly, I wish there had been more emphasis on this in college—really helping people understand how important it is to find a workplace that aligns with your values and interests. Side projects or hobbies can help, but they don’t always solve the core issue. Sometimes the best thing you can do is actually leave.
Yes - once you've done what's within your control to express your needs, you reach a point where energy is better-spent on finding a team/organization that aligns with your values, not trying for force a poor fit. Thanks Bette.
This is making me think of Wanting by Luke Burgis (based on theory of mimesis from Rene Girard) -- absolutely a must read if you're interested in this thread of exploring what your values are and where they come from!! You might also enjoy this tool we built https://happinessmeansbusiness.com/values-tool/ it's pretty simple but can make for a useful start point.
Thanks Jackson - Wanting has been on my radar! The values tool looks intriguing too; I’ll check it out. Always interested to see how others are thinking about these questions.
This “philosophy” has some flaws. You haven’t discussed metaphysics or epistemology. You define two types of values but you say little on how to achieve values (do we just find them lying around; or do we steal them?). How do we know that something is a value? Where does morality come in? You more than imply that bland life sustaining food is only a means to an end, so that the other values are the end in themselves? You barely discuss a purposeful life, but you clearly want happiness to be our goal. If happiness could be reached by seeking values, there would be a lot more happy children from wealthy families. They can buy or afford the time to achieve most any value. However, you haven’t explained why something should be a value to an individual’s life in the first place.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. This article is an introduction to the practical application of living one's values. My aim is more “applied philosophy” than metaphysical groundwork. I've included links to empirical research on the connection between meaning, purpose, and happiness. And, my work is grounded in the assumption that one wants to achieve one or more of meaning, purpose, and happiness (I think this bias is fairly and transparently indicated throughout). I appreciate the dialogue here :)
I think you're pointing to something that underlies values, which is how does one assess what one values? I personally think this comes back to one's experience of things. What makes YOU feel good, increases your sense of wellbeing? Once you know how to assess that, and what makes you feel well (balanced, whole, content, happy, etc.), then that feeling can guide you into what is of value to you. This thing, of referencing our wellbeing, is not talked about enough, but I think underlies the point you're making, and also, helps us choose between "competing values" in any given moment. Thanks for posting your thought.
Yes, I agree. It's tempting to try to remove the subjective part of selecting values. That said, I think that it's important to pair your subjective values to whether the objective research on happiness agrees with your chosen values.
I don’t think “objective” is truly so, at least what we can know of it. The first move is always one of faith, whatever we put our faith in, not because of any fault of ours, but because we are but human and limited in what we CAN know. Thus we believe, and so compromise the “objective.” Anyway, I happen to think that the ground of more knowing of what works for us is not thought, but thought as one element of experience, and that people can more advantageously choose their right way forward by tuning in to their full experience, the information from their emotions, sensations and thoughts. That of course would include which values truly represented them, the values they could authentically adopt. Thanks for your post.
I say this all the time—one of the biggest issues people face at work is a values clash. Whether it’s with the organization, their boss, or both, when your core values are out of sync, no amount of managing or “managing up” can fix it. It’s a fundamental mismatch. I think that’s a big reason so many people are unhappy in their jobs. What they need and want just doesn’t align with what their employer or manager is offering.
Honestly, I wish there had been more emphasis on this in college—really helping people understand how important it is to find a workplace that aligns with your values and interests. Side projects or hobbies can help, but they don’t always solve the core issue. Sometimes the best thing you can do is actually leave.
Yes - once you've done what's within your control to express your needs, you reach a point where energy is better-spent on finding a team/organization that aligns with your values, not trying for force a poor fit. Thanks Bette.
This is making me think of Wanting by Luke Burgis (based on theory of mimesis from Rene Girard) -- absolutely a must read if you're interested in this thread of exploring what your values are and where they come from!! You might also enjoy this tool we built https://happinessmeansbusiness.com/values-tool/ it's pretty simple but can make for a useful start point.
Thanks Jackson - Wanting has been on my radar! The values tool looks intriguing too; I’ll check it out. Always interested to see how others are thinking about these questions.
Looking forward to taking the intrinsic values test and checking out other resources from Spencer. Great piece!
Thanks for posting the clearer thinking test. Seems like a really useful tool.
This “philosophy” has some flaws. You haven’t discussed metaphysics or epistemology. You define two types of values but you say little on how to achieve values (do we just find them lying around; or do we steal them?). How do we know that something is a value? Where does morality come in? You more than imply that bland life sustaining food is only a means to an end, so that the other values are the end in themselves? You barely discuss a purposeful life, but you clearly want happiness to be our goal. If happiness could be reached by seeking values, there would be a lot more happy children from wealthy families. They can buy or afford the time to achieve most any value. However, you haven’t explained why something should be a value to an individual’s life in the first place.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. This article is an introduction to the practical application of living one's values. My aim is more “applied philosophy” than metaphysical groundwork. I've included links to empirical research on the connection between meaning, purpose, and happiness. And, my work is grounded in the assumption that one wants to achieve one or more of meaning, purpose, and happiness (I think this bias is fairly and transparently indicated throughout). I appreciate the dialogue here :)
I think you're pointing to something that underlies values, which is how does one assess what one values? I personally think this comes back to one's experience of things. What makes YOU feel good, increases your sense of wellbeing? Once you know how to assess that, and what makes you feel well (balanced, whole, content, happy, etc.), then that feeling can guide you into what is of value to you. This thing, of referencing our wellbeing, is not talked about enough, but I think underlies the point you're making, and also, helps us choose between "competing values" in any given moment. Thanks for posting your thought.
Yes, I agree. It's tempting to try to remove the subjective part of selecting values. That said, I think that it's important to pair your subjective values to whether the objective research on happiness agrees with your chosen values.
I don’t think “objective” is truly so, at least what we can know of it. The first move is always one of faith, whatever we put our faith in, not because of any fault of ours, but because we are but human and limited in what we CAN know. Thus we believe, and so compromise the “objective.” Anyway, I happen to think that the ground of more knowing of what works for us is not thought, but thought as one element of experience, and that people can more advantageously choose their right way forward by tuning in to their full experience, the information from their emotions, sensations and thoughts. That of course would include which values truly represented them, the values they could authentically adopt. Thanks for your post.