Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for motivated reasoning and provides direction when motivated reasoning removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Motivated Reasoning
Motivated Reasoning often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when motivated reasoning has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult motivated reasoning periods
- A basis for action independent of how motivated reasoning makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Motivated Reasoning
Ask yourself: 'If my motivated reasoning were less present, what would I be doing more of? What kind of person would I be?'
Values are not goals (achievable and done) but ongoing directions: being a present parent, creating beauty, contributing to others.
Values-Based Action in Motivated Reasoning
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when motivated reasoning is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite motivated reasoning, are more sustainable than waiting for motivated reasoning to lift first.