Self Direction

Freedom to cultivate one’s own ideas or determine one’s own actions

You value freedom of thought and action, preferring to come to conclusions or decisions yourself. You also likely draw great satisfaction when creating or exploring the world.

At its essence, Self-Direction is a need for control, mastery, and independence - so it’s no surprise you might relish in choosing your own goals - and honing till they are just right. Likely curious, intelligent and a lover of freedom - you prefer to live by your own rules.

Value items:

creativity, freedom, choosing own goals, curious, independent, self-respect, intelligence, privacy

Self-Direction

Defining goal:

independent thought and action-choosing, creating, exploring. Self-direction derives from organismic needs for control and mastery (e.g., Bandura, 1977; Deci, 1975) and interactional requirements of autonomy and independence (e.g., Kluckhohn, 1951; Kohn & Schooler, 1983).

Subtypes:

• Autonomy of Thought (freedom to cultivate one's own ideas)

• Autonomy of Action (freedom to cultivate one's own actions)

Schwartz, S. H. (2012). An Overview of the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1116