Core Values List
This is a comprehensive reference list of 400+ core values, useful for scanning when you’re identifying what matters most to you. As you read through, notice which words pull at you — most people have 5-10 true core values across multiple categories.
New to values work? Start with our guide to identifying your values in life, which walks through the process step by step with 50+ categorized examples, reflection exercises, and a clinical framework for actually living by your values.
When Your Values Don’t Match Your Daily Life
For many high-functioning professionals, identifying values is the easy part. The harder part is recognizing how much capacity gets quietly drained by living a life that doesn’t match what you actually value. The Capacity Audit™ measures this gap in 5 minutes.
| Acceptance |
| Accessibility |
| Accomplishment |
| Accountability |
| Accuracy |
| Accurate |
| Achievement |
| Activity |
| Adaptability |
| Adventure |
| Adventurous |
| Affection |
| Affective |
| Aggressive |
| Aggressiveness |
| Agility |
| Alert |
| Alertness |
| Altruism |
| Ambition |
| Amusement |
| Anticipate |
| Anticipation |
| Appreciation |
| Approachability |
| Approachable |
| Assertive |
| Assertiveness |
| Attention to Detail |
| Attentive |
| Attentiveness |
| Availability |
| Available |
| Awareness |
| Balance |
| Beauty |
| Being the Best |
| Belonging |
| Best |
| Best People |
| Bold |
| Boldness |
| Bravery |
| Brilliance |
| Brilliant |
| Calm |
| Calmness |
| Candor |
| Capability |
| Capable |
| Careful |
| Carefulness |
| Caring |
| Certainty |
| Challenge |
| Change |
| Character |
| Charity |
| Cheerful |
| Citizenship |
| Clean |
| Cleanliness |
| Clear |
| Clear-Minded |
| Clever |
| Clients |
| Collaboration |
| Comfort |
| Commitment |
| Common Sense |
| Communication |
| Community |
| Compassion |
| Competence |
| Competency |
| Competition |
| Competitive |
| Completion |
| Composure |
| Comprehensive |
| Concentration |
| Concern for Others |
| Confidence |
| Confidential |
| Confidentiality |
| Conformity |
| Connection |
| Consciousness |
| Consistency |
| Consistency |
| Content |
| Contentment |
| Continuity |
| Continuous Improvement |
| Contribution |
| Control |
| Conviction |
| Cooperation |
| Coordination |
| Cordiality |
| Correct |
| Courage |
| Courtesy |
| Craftiness |
| Craftsmanship |
| Creation |
| Creative |
| Creativity |
| Credibility |
| Cunning |
| Curiosity |
| Customer Focus |
| Customer Satisfaction |
| Customer Service |
| Customers |
| Daring |
| Decency |
| Decisive |
| Decisiveness |
| Dedication |
| Delight |
| Democratic |
| Dependability |
| Depth |
| Determination |
| Determination |
| Determined |
| Development |
| Devotion |
| Devout |
| Different |
| Differentiation |
| Dignity |
| Diligence |
| Direct |
| Directness |
| Discipline |
| Discovery |
| Discretion |
| Diversity |
| Dominance |
| Down-to-Earth |
| Dreaming |
| Drive |
| Duty |
| Eagerness |
| Ease of Use |
| Economy |
| Education |
| Effective |
| Effectiveness |
| Efficiency |
| Efficient |
| Elegance |
| Empathy |
| Employees |
| Empower |
| Empowering |
| Encouragement |
| Endurance |
| Energy |
| Engagement |
| Enjoyment |
| Entertainment |
| Enthusiasm |
| Entrepreneurship |
| Environment |
| Environmentalism |
| Equality |
| Equitable |
| Ethical |
| Exceed Expectations |
| Excellence |
| Excitement |
| Exciting |
| Exhilarating |
| Experience |
| Expertise |
| Exploration |
| Explore |
| Expressive |
| Extrovert |
| Exuberance |
| Fairness |
| Faith |
| Faithfulness |
| Family |
| Family Atmosphere |
| Famous |
| Fashion |
| Fast |
| Fearless |
| Ferocious |
| Fidelity |
| Fierce |
| Firm |
| Fitness |
| Fitness |
| Flair |
| Flexibility |
| Flexible |
| Fluency |
| Focus |
| Focus on Future |
| Foresight |
| Formal |
| Fortitude |
| Freedom |
| Fresh |
| Fresh Ideas |
| Friendly |
| Friendship |
| Frugality |
| Fun |
| Generosity |
| Genius |
| Giving |
| Global |
| Good humor |
| Goodness |
| Goodwill |
| Gratitude |
| Great |
| Greatness |
| Growth |
| Guidance |
| Happiness |
| Hard Work |
| Harmony |
| Health |
| Heart |
| Helpful |
| Heroism |
| History |
| Holiness |
| Home |
| Honesty |
| Honor |
| Hope |
| Hopeful |
| Hospitality |
| Humble |
| Humility |
| Humor |
| Hygiene |
| Imagination |
| Impact |
| Impartial |
| Impious |
| Improvement |
| Independence |
| Individuality |
| Industry |
| Informal |
| Innovation |
| Innovation |
| Innovative |
| Inquisitive |
| Insight |
| Insightful |
| Inspiration |
| Integrity |
| Intelligence |
| Intensity |
| International |
| Introvert |
| Intuition |
| Intuitive |
| Invention |
| Investing |
| Investment |
| Inviting |
| Irreverence |
| Irreverent |
| Joy |
| Justice |
| Kindness |
| Knowledge |
| Leadership |
| Learning |
| Legal |
| Level-Headed |
| Liberty |
| Listening |
| Lively |
| Local |
| Logic |
| Longevity |
| Love |
| Loyalty |
| Mastery |
| Maturity |
| Maximizing |
| Maximum Utilization |
| Meaning |
| Meekness |
| Mellow |
| Members |
| Merit |
| Meritocracy |
| Meticulous |
| Mindful |
| Moderation |
| Modesty |
| Motivation |
| Mystery |
| Neatness |
| Nerve |
| No Bureaucracy |
| Obedience |
| Open |
| Open-Minded |
| Open-Mindedness |
| Openness |
| Optimism |
| Optimism |
| Order |
| Organization |
| Original |
| Originality |
| Outrageous |
| Partnership |
| Passion |
| Patience |
| Patient-Centered |
| Patient-Focused |
| Patient-Satisfaction |
| Patients |
| Patriotism |
| Peace |
| People |
| Perception |
| Perceptive |
| Perfection |
| Performance |
| Perseverance |
| Persistence |
| Personal Development |
| Personal Growth |
| Persuasive |
| Philanthropy |
| Play |
| Playfulness |
| Pleasantness |
| Poise |
| Polish |
| Popularity |
| Positive |
| Positivity |
| Potency |
| Potential |
| Power |
| Powerful |
| Practical |
| Pragmatic |
| Precise |
| Precision |
| Prepared |
| Preservation |
| Pride |
| Privacy |
| Proactive |
| Proactively |
| Productivity |
| Profane |
| Professionalism |
| Profitability |
| Profits |
| Progress |
| Prosperity |
| Prudence |
| Punctuality |
| Purity |
| Pursue |
| Pursuit |
| Quality |
| Quality of Work |
| Rational |
| Real |
| Realistic |
| Reason |
| Recognition |
| Recreation |
| Refined |
| Reflection |
| Relationships |
| Relaxation |
| Reliability |
| Reliable |
| Resilience |
| Resolute |
| Resolution |
| Resolve |
| Resourceful |
| Resourcefulness |
| Respect |
| Respect for Others |
| Respect for the Individual |
| Responsibility |
| Responsiveness |
| Rest |
| Restraint |
| Results |
| Results-Oriented |
| Reverence |
| Rigor |
| Risk |
| Risk Taking |
| Rule of Law |
| Sacrifice |
| Safety |
| Sanitary |
| Satisfaction |
| Security |
| Self Awareness |
| Self Motivation |
| Self Responsibility |
| Self-Control |
| Self-Directed |
| Self-Reliance |
| Selfless |
| Sense of Humor |
| Sensitivity |
| Serenity |
| Serious |
| Service |
| Service to others |
| Shared Prosperity |
| Sharing |
| Shrewd |
| Significance |
| Silence |
| Silliness |
| Simplicity |
| Sincerity |
| Skill |
| Skillfulness |
| Smart |
| Solitude |
| Speed |
| Spirit |
| Spirit of adventure |
| Spirituality |
| Spontaneous |
| Stability |
| Standardization |
| Status |
| Stealth |
| Stewardship |
| Strength |
| Structure |
| Succeed |
| Success |
| Support |
| Surprise |
| Sustainability |
| Sympathy |
| Synergy |
| Systemization |
| Talent |
| Teamwork |
| Temperance |
| Thankful |
| Thorough |
| Thoughtful |
| Timeliness |
| Timely |
| Tolerance |
| Tough |
| Toughness |
| Traditional |
| Training |
| Tranquility |
| Transparency |
| Trust |
| Trustworthy |
| Truth |
| Understanding |
| Unflappable |
| Unique |
| Uniqueness |
| Unity |
| Universal |
| Useful |
| Utility |
| Valor |
| Value |
| Value Creation |
| Variety |
| Victorious |
| Victory |
| Vigor |
| Virtue |
| Vision |
| Vital |
| Vitality |
| Warmth |
| Watchful |
| Watchfulness |
| Wealth |
| Welcoming |
| Willfulness |
| Winning |
| Wisdom |
| Wonder |
| Work/Life Balance |
| Worldwide |
Want help identifying which of these values are actually yours?
A long list like this can be overwhelming. If you’re trying to identify your core values and feeling stuck, or if you’ve identified them but can’t seem to live by them, talking it through with a therapist can help.
We offer online counselling for individuals and couples across Canada. Most clients begin within a week.
For more on identifying and living by your core values, see our comprehensive values guide — including 50+ examples organized by category, a 5-step identification process, and the difference between surface preferences and core values.