Your Values Are Not For Sale
Your Values Are Not for Sale
Everyone talks about values like they’re just nice words on a wall.
Integrity. Honesty. Respect. Freedom. Family.
Sure, they sound great. But the typical “values” people define are usually just the table stakes of being a good human right?
Your values aren’t meant to be trite sayings that get a nod of approval or words to use when it’s convenient.
And they damn sure aren’t supposed to change when life gets uncomfortable.
Your values are infrastructure.
They’re guardrails enroute to your vision.
They’re anchors for your decision making.
They’re the non-negotiables you navigate life with.
They’re what keep you grounded when everything around you is chaos.
And if they sway with the winds—whether it’s fear, money, or politics—then they’re not values at all.
They’re just preferences.
And unfortunately that’s all too common. Blind alignment with groups, people, political parties, and big personalities is taking precedence over alignment with values.
Maybe it’s because people are afraid to admit they were wrong. Maybe it’s because they haven’t clearly defined what their values are.
But no matter the reason, many people twist themselves into knots just to avoid discomfort and sacrifice their values as a result.
Let’s get uncomfortable
In the future I’ll do another newsletter focused on defining your values more authentically, rather than just the typical single word values adopted by everyone.
Today though, I want to call attention to the obvious but uncomfortable.
No matter what you say, your actions are a far greater representation of your values than anything else.
The most obvious place this shows up is in politics.
I’m sure you’ve seen the interviews where they ask someone about a policy decision, stating it’s from a candidate the interviewee doesn’t like, and they rip it to shreds. When the interviewer states that it was actually done by the candidate they support, they immediately change their tune and find a way to support.
I saw a concerning clip the other day where someone interviewed a couple of Donald Trump supporters at a rally who were dressed in the typically patriotic red, white, and blue.
They were asked if they’d support a dictatorship, and shockingly they answered yes as long as it was led by Trump.
I don’t claim to know the values these people held. But I do know that real values require logical consistency.
True values aren’t swayed by personalities, leaders, or tribes.
True values are consistent, steadfast, and only change due to deep introspection and a recognition that your compass was flawed.
True values supercede politics, money, influence, and power.
So here are my two questions for you this week:
What do you stand for that doesn’t change, no matter who’s watching?
Are there any values that you’ve let slip due to alignment with a person or group?
I don’t anticipate getting a lot of responses on this one.
In fact, I assume there will probably be a number of people who unsubscribe because having your values challenged is uncomfortable.
But it’s important. And we need to talk about it more.
So if this lands, reach out! I want to know.
No matter what, as always I hope you live a little more intentionally.
Patrick
