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Personal Values Development

Family, friends, environment, and education are just a few things that affect the values of society today. Yet the question arises to what degree of positive or negative influence is derived from these devices. Personally the individual that I am today could not have developed without a balance of both negative and positive.   But how does one decide on what values are considering negative or positive?

Values are defined as deeply held beliefs about what is good, right, and appropriate (Looper, 2006).   When I personally decided to evaluate where my external and internal focus are derived I had to first look towards my family or specifically my parents. In the early stages of life a small child is very impressionable and easily influenced by there surroundings. A small child has a tendency to mimic the things they see and hear. I believe that a child would find it difficult to understand some of the values such as affection, truth, and order just to name a few, without a parent figure instilling in them either a negative or positive worth. These values that you develop from family become what are known as your core values. These values will govern principles of you early decision making and are very difficult to change. Core values help use align the fundamentals of how we react to situations dealing with frustration, fear, and embarrassment.   Parents and family help children in there early years identify there personal strengths, weakness, preferences and even lifelong ambitions. My early adolescents gave me a very strong grasp of achievement I can recall times where my mother would encourage me with rewards for doing well in a school or by disciplining me for disobeying her. This concept can be seen in the workplace. When an employee does well there are rewards with bonuses and extra time off. On the other hand when they do not meet there goals there are layoffs and department downsizing. This builds the foundation for values and the type of social individual...