Define values so an observer could predict your behavior — operational specificity, not dictionary definitions

Why This Is a Rule

"I value integrity" means nothing actionable. It's a dictionary definition wearing a personal label. Everyone "values integrity" — the word is so abstract that it contains no information about what you'd actually do in a specific situation. An operational definition of integrity might be: "I will not misrepresent my capabilities to win a contract, even when the contract would be profitable and the client wouldn't notice." This is specific enough that an observer could predict your behavior: you'd turn down the contract where misrepresentation was needed.

The behavioral-predictability test is the quality criterion: if someone read your value definition and could accurately predict how you'd behave in a relevant situation, the definition is operationally specific. If they couldn't predict your behavior from the definition — if the definition is compatible with too many different behaviors — it's too abstract to guide decisions.

Abstract values produce abstract decisions: "I chose integrity" sounds meaningful but doesn't specify what you actually did or why. Operational values produce concrete decisions: "I turned down the contract because my integrity definition says I don't misrepresent capabilities." The operational definition converts a vague virtue into a decision-making tool.

When This Fires

• When articulating values for use in the hierarchy (Use lexicographic ordering for value conflicts: satisfy the higher-ranked value first, then optimize the lower within that constraint-606)
• When an abstract value ("growth," "excellence," "authenticity") doesn't provide decision guidance
• When two people claim the same value but behave differently — their operational definitions differ
• When you want your values to function as decision-making infrastructure rather than abstract aspirations

Common Failure Mode

Dictionary definitions: "Integrity: the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles." This definition applies to billions of people and distinguishes your specific commitment from nobody's. An operational definition should be uniquely yours: it should predict your specific behavior in situations relevant to your life.

The Protocol

(1) For each abstract value, write 1-3 sentences that meet this test: "If someone read this definition and then watched me make a decision in a relevant situation, could they predict what I'd choose?" (2) The definition should specify: what behavior the value produces, in what contexts, and what it would cost you (what you'd give up to honor it). (3) Test: describe a concrete situation where the value is at stake. Does your definition predict a specific choice? If it's compatible with multiple choices → too abstract. Narrow it. (4) Example: Abstract: "I value learning." Operational: "I allocate 5+ hours per week to skill acquisition in areas where I'm not yet competent, even when existing competencies would be more productive in the short term. I choose growth-producing discomfort over efficiency-producing comfort." (5) Review operational definitions annually: do they still predict your behavior accurately?