Values are basic principles, standards, qualities or beliefs that guide/motivate our actions/attitude, an

individual or group of people hold in high honor.

Our values are designed from a variety of sources a few of which are family, culture, religion,
experience, environment, friends, and media, and technology, personal and historical events. None of us
are born with values, as a part of our growth as a human being we work to form and they are developed
at different phases of our life.

Morris Massey a sociologist and producer of training videos has described three major periods during
which values develop. The imprint, modeling and socialization period.

The Imprint period where we get our basic programming. It’s between ages 0 to 7 where Morris
compares us to sponges, absorbing and storing everything around that goes on in our surroundings. The
stage of learning right and wrong, good and bad. No filter in our brain, nothing to filter the information
that’s going in, no memories, nothing to delete distort or generalize what we are experiencing. At this
stage we often pick up our parents behavior.

The Modelling period is between ages seven and thirteen, where we consciously or unconsciously model
people that we respect and look up to. We copy their behavior and try to see how it feels. It’s where we
are particularly influenced by (family, friends and teachers) and take them as a role model. It’s where we
acquire our idols. Morris’s point of view is that, at this age our values are based on where you were and
what was happening in the world.

The Socialization period is between ages thirteen through 21 is where we start building relationships.
Social interaction begins with other human beings. We pick up social values, most of which will be used
for the rest of our life. It’s a time where we acquire opinions on what is important to us in a relationship
and in other individuals.

Our values articulate and influence our thoughts, words and actions in any given environment. They are
the foundation of how we live our lives, how we do our work, and how we interact with those around
us. They help us grow and develop in creating a future we want to experience. On a daily basis we make
a lot decisions which stand as a reflection of our values and beliefs. Values affect the way individuals
approaches an issue and tackle problems. When our values are aligned with our work and our
colleagues we find that they support and energize our work. For example, a person who values integrity,
is more likely to avoid wrong and a person who values reaching heights no matter how, is more like to
favor greed. Values influence individual behavior, negative behavior is a result of negative value.

Core values or fundamental beliefs are permanent, unless a significant emotional experience or a
therapeutic change is done. However other conscious values do change and mature over time. Values
that suited us as a child change as we become a young adult. Finally values are stable long lasting beliefs
about what is important to a person and as we live by they become our standards.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020a, June 4). Morris Massey. Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Massey

https://www.flashpointleadership.com/blog/do-values-change-over-time