Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for terror management theory and provides direction when terror management theory removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Terror Management Theory
Terror Management Theory often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when terror management theory has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult terror management theory periods
- A basis for action independent of how terror management theory makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Terror Management Theory
Ask yourself: 'If my terror management theory 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 Terror Management Theory
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when terror management theory is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite terror management theory, are more sustainable than waiting for terror management theory to lift first.