Sean Everett explains how to identify your real core values: you only know something is truly core when you've suffered for defending it. He walks through examples like confidentiality and protecting animals, then argues the easiest way to reduce conflict is working with people who share your values.
Core values. How do you know what yours are? I think the test is one that's not so fun, but it's really accurate. And the test is, have you been damaged by standing up for something that you believe in? So here's an example. Let's take confidentiality. Let's say for an example that you could, uh, make a trade and earn a bunch of money by trading on non-public information. That's illegal, but you don't do it because confidentiality. Let's say you could share information that you have where you've signed a confidentiality agreement, and that would bring you more business, but you don't because you believe in confidentiality and it's a core value. Let's say you could win a legal case But you don't because you don't share confidential information. You could do the same thing about, let's say, respecting people, standing up for people who are sort of less— have less ability than you, or let's just say bullies in a schoolyard, in business, whatever. If you see somebody attacking someone else, Do you come to their aid immediately without thinking? And does it damage you because you did that? And so I think you can think about core values and you can decide on them, but you never truly know what they are until you've been put in a situation where you have to choose. And when you choose your core value and get damaged because of it, That's how you know it's a core value. So, things like protecting people's rights, protecting animals' rights, those are mine. Confidentiality is mine. Respectful treatment of other individuals is mine. And so, you know, the old adage in business at least is find people to work with that share the same core values. And then conflict will will sort of be taken care of beforehand. So yeah, that's it. Just a little bit on core values, and, uh, hope you have a great day.
