What Values Make You a Good Person? 7 Core Values to Live By

1. Valuing Human Life

A lack of value for human life leads to tragedy, terrorism, and genocide. Regimes around the world—both modern and historical—have cast off their respect and value for human life, slaughtering hundreds of thousands as a result. Valuing human life also means that if your beloved dog was drowning and a stranger was drowning, you would choose to save the human. If you truly hold the values of a good person, it shouldn't be a tough choice, but in practice, ethical dilemmas arise. For example, what if the person drowning was a stranger but a criminal? Or what if your dog was a puppy and the person was ill with terminal cancer? What if the drowning person was a pregnant woman? What if your dog had saved you from drowning the year before? What if it was a child drowning? What if it was an undocumented immigrant trying to enter the country safely? The true moral value as a person comes from being able to make what you believe is the right choice, which connects deeply to building self-respect and staying grounded in core ethics.

2. Self-Respect

Having self-respect does not mean being selfish or vain. It means respecting yourself and recognizing that you have a finite amount of time on this earth. It means that while you may experience tough times, degradation, or major setbacks, you do not purposefully put yourself in harmful positions just to please another person. You have genuine respect for yourself and your boundaries. Knowing which values make a person good for himself is essential for long-term emotional well-being.

When you cultivate self-respect, living by the golden rule becomes a natural extension of how you treat both yourself and others.

3. Valuing the Future of a Child

A person who upholds this value will protect children from harm, avoid harmful behaviors or substances during pregnancy, and refrain from using foul language in front of young minds. This sort of person actively helps a child understand the world and teaches them that there are consequences to their actions that can easily be avoided. A good person meaning in this context involves protecting a child from mental, physical, and emotional harm at all costs, while guiding them to understand how treating others with empathy builds a better future.

4. A Respect for the Earth

A good person doesn't throw litter over a wall into a field, dump waste in the ocean, create excessive pollution, or buy caged chickens and factory-farmed eggs. A person who values the earth naturally values everything living within it. What makes you a good person is a deep respect and appreciation for our shared planet. This also means making conscious consumer choices, ensuring you do not support companies that damage the environment—such as choosing coffee growers that are fully Rainforest Alliance certified.

5. Valuing People's Right to a Contrary Opinion

This is a complex and often troublesome value. While liberal groups and parties heavily promote free expression, some individuals within these movements can become vicious—to the point of bullying—toward those with opposing views. On the other hand, conservative groups may simply ignore contrary opinions, which is also unhelpful because it can invalidate meaningful dialogue and diverse perspectives (whether those perspectives are right or wrong). Good values in a person require listening open-mindedly and respecting someone's right to hold a different opinion without resorting to hostility.

6. Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them do to You

Say what you want about the Bible, whoever penned this timeless principle nailed one of the most fundamental examples of good values. The world would be a far better place if we all practiced doing to others what we would have them do to us. People would be far less inclined to steal, harm, or betray if they knew those actions would return to them. Suffice it to say, if we all embraced this core principle, society as a whole would be significantly happier and more harmonious.

7. A Respect for Womanhood

Respecting womanhood means fostering solidarity and equity. Do not compete maliciously with women at work, and avoid talking behind their backs. Instead, collaborate to help women around you succeed. Band together to offer support rather than tearing each other down. Furthermore, actively support global human rights organizations like Amnesty International and advocate for women's groups in regions where women face systemic oppression or legal inequality—such as members of activist groups like Pussy Riot who faced imprisonment for championing female rights. Support the rights of Muslim women globally while maintaining deep respect for their culture and faith.

So now it's your turn to reflect on what values make you a good person. What moral standards do you judge yourself against, and what core principles would you instill in your children? Are there any essential values of a good person that you feel were missing from this list?