The One Value Rule: Can a Single Principle Guide Every Decision?
You likely carry a wide range of values that guide your decisions across different aspects of your life. Maybe you prize innovation and risk-taking in your career, while valuing security and tradition in your personal relationships. But here’s a compelling question: do you really need separate value systems for different contexts—or could one core value serve as your universal north star?
While researchers have extensively studied how values influence decision-making, little attention has been given to whether a unified or compartmentalized value system works better. It’s a thought-provoking gap in our understanding of human cognition.
The neurological burden of multiple values
Your brain works hard to manage competing value systems. When professional values clash with personal ones, your cognitive system has to resolve that internal conflict—often leading to decision fatigue or stress.
In theory, a simplified value structure could reduce this mental strain. Imagine filtering every decision—whether at work or at home—through the same guiding principle. If your core value is integrity, then whether you're negotiating a contract or resolving a conflict with a friend, your decision-making becomes more consistent and efficient.
This alignment can minimize the mental toll of constantly switching frameworks and instead create a clearer path forward.
Legacy as a clue to your core value
When you're gone, how do you want to be remembered?
That legacy-focused question often cuts through noise and reveals what truly matters. Maybe you value creativity or compassion—but if you imagine your epitaph, perhaps it's integrity, resilience, or service that rises to the top.
That most enduring principle might be the one that defines you at your best. It’s the belief that brings clarity during your hardest moments and guides your most meaningful choices.
What would researchers measure?
If we wanted to test this value-simplification idea, what would we look at?
Researchers might measure:
Decision-making ease – Do you feel less indecision?
Value alignment – Are your goals and behaviors better aligned?
Career and life satisfaction – Has clarity in values improved how you feel about your path?
Cognitive load – Do tough decisions feel mentally lighter?
While hard science may still be catching up, anecdotal evidence and personal reflections can be just as revealing.
Authenticity as the ultimate metric
At the heart of it all is authenticity. When your actions consistently align with your beliefs, you experience greater psychological harmony.
That alignment might show up as:
Confidence in your decisions
Fewer internal conflicts
Consistency across roles (parent, partner, leader, friend)
Instead of constantly asking, "What would a good employee do?" versus "What would a good parent do?"—you ask, "What would someone with [core value] do in this moment?"
Finding your core value
If you're curious about this approach, here's a simple exercise to try:
List all the values that are important to you.
Narrow them down to your top five.
Ask yourself:
Which of these defines me when I'm at my absolute best?
Which one helps me navigate hard moments?
Which do I use—consciously or not—as a decision-making filter?
Choose one that feels essential, non-negotiable, and authentic.
Your other values don’t disappear—they become expressions of that central value.
For example, if your core value is integrity, then fairness, honesty, and accountability are how integrity shows up in different situations.
But what about nuance?
This isn’t about eliminating nuance or flattening your identity. Rather, it’s about reducing internal friction. Your secondary values don’t go away—they’re contextual expressions of your main principle.
There may still be moments of tension. Your core value might feel at odds with social expectations, job demands, or family dynamics. That’s normal. But having a north star helps you navigate those moments with more clarity and less confusion.
A personal experiment
You don’t need a lab to test this theory. Try it for a week—or a month.
Pick your potential core value and filter every major decision through it. Write down how it feels. Are choices easier? Do you feel more consistent? More aligned? More yourself?
Chances are, this internal experiment may offer you more insight than any study.
So: might one core value simplify your entire life?
Only one person can answer that. You.
