Beliefs and Values
We all hold our own personal beliefs and values which are important to us and form an
intrinsic part of who we are, influencing how we behave and respond to others and the world
around us.
To help you start thinking about your own, below are a few examples of some such personal
statements:
 War can never be justified.
 People are intrinsically good.
 Family should come before friends.
 You get out of life what you put into it.
 There’s no such thing as equal opportunities.
 Private healthcare and schooling are discriminatory and should not be supported.
 What goes round comes around.
 Faith is greater than nationality.
 Life is for living – take the risk!
 Debt is wrong.
 Work to live, not live to work.
Take some time now to reflect on some of the beliefs and values that you hold.
Think of between three and five of your own personal statements and write them down.
Take a few moments to reflect on the statements that you’ve written and ask yourself the
following questions:
o
How have I come to hold this value? (For instance was it through family experience /
expectations, school influence, cultural, societal norm etc)
o
How strongly do I hold each belief?
o
Am I open to the possibility of changing this belief?
o
How do I think I would feel about supporting and listening to somebody who held an
opposing belief?
o
How easy or difficult do I think it would be for me to keep this belief / value from
clouding my ability to listen to someone who holds a contradictory belief?