You're wondering whether "play" is actually one of your core values, or whether you're confusing it with something you wish you made time for. The question isn't whether play sounds nice — it's whether it's genuinely what drives you.
Who This Is For (and Who It Is Not)
This page is for someone who suspects play might be central to how they want to live, but isn't sure if that's real or just an escape from responsibility. You might find that your friendships light up when there's genuine playfulness in them, or that you feel resentful when work has no room for lightness, or that you're drawn to people and projects where not everything is stakes-driven. If that resonates, this applies to you.
This is not for someone who plays regularly but isn't troubled by the question. You don't need to figure out whether something is a core value if you're already living it without internal conflict. Core values become worth investigating when there's tension — when you're not living them, or when you're living them in ways that clash with other things you care about.
It's also not for someone who thinks core values should sound serious. That's a common assumption, and it costs people clarity. Schwartz's research across 80+ countries identifies play as one of 10 universal value types, with the same weight as security or achievement. The framework is well-established in cross-cultural psychology. Your values don't have to be solemn to be real.
What You Will Discover
Once you understand whether play is genuinely one of your values, you'll be able to see where your life is and is not aligned with it. That sounds simple, but it changes everything. You'll notice why certain jobs drain you even when they're objectively good. You'll understand what you actually want from friendships and why some feel more nourishing than others. You'll stop blaming yourself for "not being disciplined enough" and start seeing that you've been trying to build a life around values that aren't yours.
You'll also see how play sits in relation to your other values. Schwartz's model uses a circular structure — values that sit adjacent to play are compatible with it, and values opposite to it create genuine tension. If you value achievement and play equally, that's different from someone who values conformity and play equally. The tension is real in the second case, and understanding it helps you make actual decisions instead of feeling torn.
Common Reasons People Wait
The first is that naming play as a core value feels frivolous. You might think real values are about responsibility, legacy, security — things that matter. But values aren't a moral ranking. Play drives some people's most important decisions: the industry they choose, how they parent, which relationships they prioritize. If you're someone for whom work needs to have an element of playfulness or you're miserable, that's not shallow. It's how you're built. The hesitation makes sense, but it's based on a false hierarchy.
The second is that you're worried admitting play is important will give you permission to neglect things that matter. You'll slack off, you'll stop showing up, you'll rationalize away hard work. That's possible if you name a value and then never look at it again. But once you know play is one of yours, the real work starts: how do you actually build a life where it's present without abandoning the other values that matter? That's harder than pretending you don't care about play. It requires actual thought about trade-offs and design.
The third is that you already know you like to play, so why does it matter to name it as a core value. The difference is between something you enjoy and something that shapes who you are and what you need. You might enjoy playing while also being able to go months without it. A core value isn't just enjoyable — you feel its absence. When it's genuinely central, your life feels hollow without it. The naming isn't pointless; it's the difference between recognizing a preference and recognizing a requirement.
The My Values assessment ranks your core values against this framework and shows you where your life is misaligned with what matters to you.
Is play a real core value or just something people say they want?
Play is one of Schwartz's 10 universal value types, identified and tested across more than 80 countries. It's as real as any other value. Whether it's one of your core values specifically is what matters, and that's individual.
What's the difference between play as a value and play as a hobby?
A hobby is an activity you enjoy. A value is something that shapes how you live. If play is a core value for you, its absence affects your sense of purpose and wellbeing. Its presence changes what kind of work you want, what relationships feel right, and how you want to spend your time.
Can you have play as a core value and still be serious about your work?
Yes. Having play as a core value doesn't mean you're not committed or disciplined. It means you want lightness, creativity, or humor present in what you do. Some people need to work hard in playful environments or on projects that have an element of discovery. Others find the tension between play and achievement creates conflict that needs resolving.
How do I know if I'm avoiding this because play isn't my value, or because I feel guilty about it?
If you've felt resentful about work or relationships that have no room for playfulness, or if you're drawn to people and environments where things feel lighter — that's a signal. Guilt is usually about what you think you should value. Values show up as what you actually miss.