Note: This article was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.
Morals can stand for a variety of different principles and ideas, including making better decisions, values and beliefs about the world, and personal boundaries. When it comes to choosing your morals, most people already have a set that they live with by the time they’re an adult.
If you’re finding yourself wondering what the most common morals are, you might be interested in checking out this list of the top eight moral values that most people live by. See how many you relate to in this list and which you don’t!
1) Treat Others as You Want to Be Treated
Although this rule is one that many people list as one of their morals, not many people practice it in real life. You may find that true with every item on this list. A moral value is a rule that you believe in and find to be important. However, it takes more than believing in something to follow it as a principle.
Treating others as you want to be treated is pretty simple. It means always acting out of your own integrity to treat other people with respect, kindness, and gentleness, as you would expect from them. If something hurts you or you have a personal boundary, it’s a good practice to act as if others around you would also be hurt by it or have that boundary and to treat them how you would like to be treated.
2) Don’t Steal From Other People
Not stealing seems like common sense, but unfortunately, life can often get in the way of people making the right choice. Stealing from someone else is a bad idea in any circumstance, and it can also get you in legal trouble, making it one of the more law-abiding morals that someone might have.
Some people believe that stealing is not bad if it is done from a corporation or business and not from a singular person or group of people. However, that is up to you to decide. Either way, all stealing is illegal.
3) Always Be Honest and Expect Honesty
Honesty is one of the most valued morals on earth. We see so much in media and online about integrity and being honest and what it means. Honesty is important for forming community and government and for forming relationships in general. It shows the world who we are and that what we say is true.
Some great ways to practice honesty in your own life include:
- Always saying what you mean, within reason (don’t be mean for the sake of being mean)
- Be honest when someone asks how you feel
- Be open to communicating with those you care about
- Own up to it when you make a mistake
- Always dedicate yourself to finding your own truth
- Respect your truth, even when others don’t
4) Live Positively
Living positively is about being optimistic and positive in your day-to-day life. Not everyone believes in this step, but it can be a healing and important moral for the many who do.
Some ways to increase positivity in your life include:
- Only having people who love you and are loyal to you in your life
- Being open to change
- Saying positive affirmations each day
- Taking moments to appreciate the smaller details in your life
- Trying to work on your emotional responses and learn the difference between urges and personality
- Being able to accept yourself, even when you’re not feeling well emotionally
- Learning self-love
5) Treat Yourself With Respect
Treating yourself with respect is an important moral that many people forget. We often go through the world learning to treat other people with respect while neglecting ourselves. It’s important to give love and respect to not only others but yourself as well.
Self-love is a difficult journey for many, but it starts with making the pact to try. Learning to see yourself as a friend and someone you can rely on for support is a good way to feel more connected with your inner self and your inner child.
Sometimes, therapy can be a great option for those needing to connect more and learn to love themselves. If this sounds like you, you may want to read more about morals and therapy options here: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/morality/.
6) Be Open-Minded
Being open-minded seems easy in theory but is actually quite difficult in practice. Humans have always struggled to accept and learn to understand those who are different than us. We see a difference and become afraid or angry.
Instead of immediately reacting to things such as this, it’s a good idea to educate yourself on different communities and types of people. The most you can do is your best and learning to not hold stereotypes about certain people is one step toward following your principles.
7) Be Trustworthy
Another moral that most people push in their lives and relationships is the value of trust. We often want to be able to trust our partners, trust ourselves, and trust that what we’re doing is the right thing. In these cases, being able to trust often comes down to us.
Trust is a personal thing, and although people can act in ways that make you lose trust in them, it’s still your choice to trust someone or not. Being a trustworthy person means trusting in others and acting in ways that deserve the trust of those you love.
For example, if you’re doing shady things or stealing from someone, you most likely shouldn’t be trusted in their home.
8) Always Do Your Best
Finally, many people believe in the power of always doing your best. It’s important to put your foot forward and try, even when you’re scared or not sure if you’ll succeed.
Doing your best can get you far in life and can even land you the promotion you’re hoping for! So keep trying and don’t give up if this is your moral.
Conclusion
Morals are tricky, but we all have them. Although you may not agree with every item on this list, you probably value at least one or two. As humans, morals can change according to our culture and ideals growing up, as well. It’s always super interesting to learn about what rules someone lives by. If you haven’t tried any of these before, now is the time to try!
