Core values with descriptions and internal conflicts
Values are the principles someone actually protects when it costs them something. They are not what a person says matters, but what they choose when forced to prioritize. Someone who values loyalty stays even when leaving would be easier. Someone who values honesty tells the truth even when a lie would be kinder. The distinction between stated values and operational values is critical: a person may claim to value fairness but consistently choose self-interest under pressure, and that gap between what they profess and what they protect reveals more about them than either value alone. When two deeply held values conflict, such as justice against compassion or freedom against commitment, the person must sacrifice one to serve the other, and which one they sacrifice defines who they actually are.