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But here’s where Rokeach broke new ground. He argued that all human values can be organized into just and 36 total values . The Two Types of Values Rokeach divided values into two distinct families: milton rokeach the nature of human values 1973
He gave people a list of 18 Terminal Values and 18 Instrumental Values. Then he asked them to —not rate them on a scale, but literally rank them from 1 to 18. By [Your Name] But here’s where Rokeach broke new ground
Why ranking? Because Rokeach understood that values are comparative. You can’t truly know what you value most until you are forced to choose. Do you value “Freedom” over “Equality”? “Self-Respect” over “Social Recognition”? The ranking reveals your true hierarchy. 1. The Stability Paradox Rokeach found that while instrumental values (like being polite or clean) could change with social pressure, terminal values (like salvation or self-respect) were remarkably stable across adulthood. Your destination changes slowly; your daily driving habits might shift more often. Then he asked them to —not rate them
Then do the same for the 18 Instrumental Values.
We love to talk about what we believe—politics, religion, lifestyle. But how often do we stop to examine how we believe? What is the actual architecture of a human value?
When Rokeach administered his survey across the U.S., he found a fascinating split. The top Terminal Value was often “Family Security,” while “Freedom” ranked highly but “Equality” ranked surprisingly low (often #7–12). Meanwhile, the top Instrumental Value was almost always “Honest,” followed by “Ambitious.”