Values are aspects and/or ideals we hold to be important in our lives. The values we define for ourselves determine our behaviour in judging, acting and reacting to situations in life. As we develop a group of values that are important to us as individuals, so do we shape our personality. Not only one value is enough to guide an individual throughout his/her life. We can classify values by qualifying them according to domains of life, in which they are important. Examples include:
- Moral Values
- Traditional Values
- Family Values
- National Values
- Ethical Values
- Professional Values
- Religious Values… etc.
Each individual working for growth and development of his/her personality is free to choose among the domains of values. In the course of life, values of an individual can change or remains stable.
Principles are fundamental facts, theories or laws that serve as a basis for actions and interactions in specific systems. Principles are clearly defined and serve the smooth functioning of a system or subsystem.
These two descriptions show clearly the difference between values and principles. Although many authors see these two concepts as synonyms, it is important to stress the importance of differentiating them in the process of personality development.
The following example demonstrates the difference in these two; “values” and “principles”. It also makes it clear, why both are important for personality development and consequently in the process of developing a positive mentality.
Example: Democracy is based on “democratic principles“. An individual may have democracy as one of his/her values. This means that democracy is very important to the said individual. We can derive from this, that he knows and masters the principles that underlie democracy. Dealing with this individual, we know what to expect of him and where to position him/her in society.
In the course of personality development, it is important to occupy oneself with as many values and principles as possible. During this process, an individual lays a foundation of the most important of values, that are going to guide him/her through life. On the other hand, knowing values that will later not be of importance to us widens our knowledge and makes it possible for us to understand persepectives that are different from ours. This way, we lay a foundation for tolerance and empathy, which are a very important for cohesion in society.