Values
The concept of values is something that is commonly tossed around. You hear people saying things like “sticking true to your values” or “not defaulting on your values”, but it feels like there is very little talk about what values truly are.
At its core, values can be described as the things you deem to be non-negotiable in life. The things that you believe are central to your experience that compromising on would be betraying yourself. You hear people talk all day about their “values”, but most are lying to themselves. It is important to realize that most people’s values are conditional. They adhere to their values when it’s convenient, when it suits them, or when it makes them feel better than others. Most people will compromise on what they claim are their values. Offer them money or power, and you’ll see people transform into what they claimed they would never be.
When the rubber meets the road, rarely do you find anyone with true values. Your values aren’t your values if you drop them at the slightest inconvenience or opportunity to get ahead; you are just lying to yourself. Having values is designed to be hard. It is designed for it to be irrational, but in a sense that is what makes it valuable.
When you find values that you are willing to commit to, it simplifies much of your life.
This really resonates. The distinction between proclaimed values and lived values is crucial—true values reveal themselves through consistent action, not just convenient words.
Brilliant breakdown of how most people's 'values' are really just social performance. The conditionality piece is something I've seen play out repeatedly in startup culture, people talk big abtou mission alignment until the first real funding decision comes up. What makes this especially tricky is that we rarely get clear feedback on when we've comprimised, so the drift happens gradually. I dunno if thats worse than a sudden collapse, but it feels more insidious.