Values are the basis for our behavior and motivation. Values are abstract, hierarchical and dynamic concepts that essentially describe what we desire or seek to achieve. We may hold values such as “loyalty”, “truthfulness”, “charity”, “service” and many others.

Beliefs are judgments about ourselves and the world around us. They are usually generalizations

People use both concepts to guide their actions and behavior and to form their attitudes towards different things, but they are essentially different.

According to different experts' opinions, beliefs are the convictions that we generally hold to be true, usually without actual proof or evidence. They are often, but not always connected to religion. Beliefs are basically assumptions that we make about the world and our values stem from those beliefs. Our values are the things that we deem important and can include concepts like equality, honesty, education, effort, perseverance, loyalty, faithfulness, conservation of the environment, and many other concepts. Our beliefs grow from what we see, hear, experience, read and think about. From these things we develop an opinion that we hold to be true and unmovable at that time. From our beliefs we derive our values, which can either be correct or incorrect when compared with evidence, but nonetheless hold true for us.

Beliefs are judgments about ourselves and the world around us. They are usually generalizations. Sometimes beliefs become very strongly entrenched or emotional. In this way, beliefs can influence our behaviors, even our thoughts, in very powerful ways. Beliefs also literally shape your map of reality. It is possible for our beliefs and values to differ over time as we encounter evidence or have experiences that challenge our previously held views. Conversely, our beliefs and values can also be strengthened by experience or evidence. For example, a person might have their belief in the essential goodness of human beings shaken and changed if they have a truly terrible experience.

Values are the basis for our behavior and motivation. Values are abstract, hierarchical and dynamic concepts that essentially describe what we desire or seek to achieve. We may hold values such as “loyalty”, “truthfulness”, “charity”, “service” and many others. When we say we hold a value, what we are really saying is that we aspire to something, or we feel that value is worth something to us. So if we say that we hold “charity” as a value we are saying that we aspire to be charitable, even at personal cost. However, values are an abstract concept. You may have a very good idea of what it means to be charitable. But the idea of charity hold from another person may be very different than yours. This is where the notion of criteria come in. Criteria define our values, or give them specific meaning to us. For instance, when I think of charity, I assign criteria that define charity. The criteria I use include, helping others to be self-reliant, empowering others, helping others meet challenges. My value of charity, and the criteria I use to define charity, will influence how I may react to someone who is in need. Since my criteria and your criteria may be different, you may react in a different way.

Everyone has an internalized system of beliefs and values that they have developed throughout their lives. These may stem from religion or may develop separately to religion.

In summary, it can be said that beliefs and values are different concepts. Values represent our aims, desires, and goals. They are usually abstract, and are further defined by criteria. Beliefs are judgments that connect our values and criteria to our experiences, in other words are convictions that we generally hold to be true, usually without actual proof or evidence. They give our experiences meaning, and provide context for our values.

Both values and beliefs shape the way we view ourselves and the world around us. They act as filters for our perceptions, and actually create our maps of reality. They literally make our reality, and make us who we are. For this reason:

1.Beliefs are concepts that we hold to be true.

2.Beliefs may come religion, but not always.

3.Values are ideas that we hold to be important.

4.Values govern the way we behave, communicate and interact with others

5.Beliefs and values determine our attitudes and opinions.

Dear Prof,

Values and beliefs are slightly different.  Beliefs are a subset of values; beliefs form values which shape attitudes.

http://www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/jgiertz/many_beliefs_form_values_which_s.htm

Here is another illustration.  Beliefs are the 'root'.  Values and attitudes are the shoot, and behavior (motivation; leadership etc) are the 'flower' or observable effects.

http://www.gp-training.net/training/leadership/attitudes_values_beliefs.htm

Values are the basis for our behavior and motivation. Values are abstract, hierarchical and dynamic concepts that essentially describe what we desire or seek to achieve. We may hold values such as “loyalty”, “truthfulness”, “charity”, “service” and many others.

Beliefs are judgments about ourselves and the world around us. They are usually generalizations

A belief refers to an internal feeling that an issue is true, whereas values are limitations of what is right and what is wrong

Beliefs are the kinds of generalizations of ideas, feelings and behavior are intended to recognize what is right or wrong and beliefs belong to the ideas. In addition, beliefs are not affected contexts, but in cohort and coherence with context and disappear in another, but does not change. Whereas values are what motivates us to work or don’t work. That is belong to the feelings of ethical agreement in the globe. However, values are affected contexts, is the motivation that arises depends on the belief (base). So that belief base value or for the transfer of beliefs centered on values, thus both together, determine a specific person's behavior.

We as human can’t live without beliefs and values. In many instant combined values and beliefs stemmed from our culture and religion.

Dear Debi, I agree with Miranda and images she shared.

Dear Debi, that's a good question. 

I think beliefs can be very particular while values are more general. Both should correspond to sentences, not to concepts, because isolated concepts don’t tell us any content. They give us an allusion at most.

Truth is relevant in respect to beliefs but not in relation to values. Values are something the society agrees upon, while beliefs are private. They can be shared, but they don’t have to.

Values are principles, standards or qualities that an individual or group of people hold in high regard. These values guide the way we live our lives and the decisions we make. A value may be defined as something that we hold dear, those things/qualities which we consider to be of worth. For example, in a workplace, we are all equal. We just have different jobs and callings through which we are challenged to add value every day.

Beliefs come from real experiences but often we forget that the original experience is not the same as what is happening in life now. Our values and beliefs affect the quality of our work and all our relationships because what you believe is what you experience. We tend to think that our beliefs are based on reality, but it is our beliefs that govern our experiences.

The beliefs that we hold are an important part of our identity. They may be religious, cultural or moral. Beliefs are precious because they reflect who we are and how we live our lives.

http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-values-and-beliefs/

Dear Debi

Value is an action. Valuation is an expression.

Belief is an emotional mindset, an intellectual experience

Values are attributes perceived in objects: this gem is precious, this principle is solemn. Beliefs are subconscious interpretations of reality guiding our actions.  Hence our beliefs may guide us to prefer one value over another. I am a Zoroastrian. Therefore without thinking I prefer light over darkness.  For my conception of value, I rely on Max Scheler, "Der Formalismus in der Ethik"; for my notion of beliefs, on Edmund Husserl, "Logische Untersuchungen" and José Ortega y Gasset, "Ideas y creencias."

Beliefs are concepts or assumptions that we hold to be true, but may or may not be backed by evidence. Values stem from those beliefs and are concepts that we consider as being important. Taken together, they  determine our attitudes, interactions and decisions.

Although similar, beliefs and values could be quite a bit different as well. We may have different religious or cultural beliefs but may still have secular values. In that sense, values hold a greater unifying force. But we shouldn't narrow down the term 'beliefs' either because although in this case our beliefs are different, we still believe that humanity transcends religion. That again, is a belief that morphs into a value.

Dear Kamal, Dear Colleagues,

İt seems that there are a lot of views and opinions about globalization of beliefs and values. From what we hear by each religious, political or ideological group profess that their religion, group or ideology, which has a contribution to existing values and beliefs. The most important beliefs and religious practices were identified by Prophet Muhammad himself (May the mercy and blessings of God be upon him). The main beliefs in Islam for example are to belief in One God, in Angels, in Prophets of God, in Revealed Books of God, in Day of Judgment, and in Destiny and Divine Decree.

A strong beliefs and values constitute the power of a person and a society. Whether these beliefs are right or wrong seen by different viewpoints, the likelihood is to direct and orient ones thinking and attitudes (suppose to a moral situation).

http://islam.uga.edu/norms_values.html

http://www.al-islam.org/message-thaqalayn/vol11-n4-2011/islam-humanity-and-human-values-sayyid-musa-sadr/islam-humanity-and

Values are believes about what is valuable and what is not.

I fear that I disagree with the majority. I find belief similar to a seed and values are its fruits.

Dear all

Many thanks for your very insightful threads regarding the distiction between beliefs and values. Of course, the two are close and related. Miranda's submission is right that values emanate from beliefs. Beliefs are the assumptions that humans make about themselves and about  others, as also about how they expect things to be. Values are deeply held beleifs which guide our action. Dear Nelson is right: a belief is an intellectual experience, and value is an action based on that experience. Dear Nages also has a very interesting thread in this regard. One thing is true: while all values reflect our beliefs, all beliefs may not be values. For example, we may beileve that a political party is the best for ruling the country. This can not be a value. Values are generic while beliefs may be about specific people or objects.

Dear Monica

Your distiction  between beliefs and values is very simple, clear and interesting. Thanks. I endorse the points that you have made.

Monica's response seems perfect.

I would respond in an instinctive way that values are usually built over a lifetime, based on maturity and reflection, while beliefs are often developed based on examples.

So i am making an instrument to identify culture elements that promotes or inhibits innovation on a public university. It consists on a series of afirmatives about values, beliefs, rites, ritual and cerimonies, stories and miths, heroes, norms, comunication, artifacts and simbols. The questionnaire will be applied to professors of the institution. How can i tell if an affirmative is mesuring/identifying values or beliefs?? It´s both? It´s none? It can´t be asserted? Let me get some examples.

1 - The university is seen by much of society as a oportunity of social ascension and not as an space for the construction of knowledge.

2 - The distribution of resources for innovation must be carried out in an egalitarian manner, seeking to contemplate all, even if this means that large projects lose in scalability

3 - I believe that the innovation activities developed at the university are essential for their survival

4 - The university values the creativity of people

5 - The university must have foreign professors to promote innovation

The questionnaire has more than 60 statements and I can say which ones should promote and which ones should inhibit innovation. However, I do not know how to differentiate values and beliefs or say what they are.

It seems to me, beliefs are what we hold to be true while values are manifestations of our beliefs geared specifically to what's important to us. Values become virtues over time and with practice and, if they deal with right and wrong; good and bad, they can be labeled ethical values/virtues.