What term refers to the principles and values that guide the way you live?

The term that refers to the principles and values that guide the way you live is ethics. Ethics encompasses the overall framework of beliefs that shape an individual’s behavior and decision-making. It is concerned with determining what is right and wrong, and it provides a guide for actions based on moral principles.

Ethics involves not only personal beliefs but also the broader societal standards that dictate acceptable conduct. It applies to various aspects of life, from professional conduct to personal relationships, influencing how individuals interact with one another and make choices that reflect their values.

While morality may also relate to guiding principles, it often refers more specifically to the distinction between right and wrong as defined by cultural or societal norms. Integrity and character relate more to the steadfastness of a person's moral principles and overall personality traits, and while they are interconnected with ethics, they do not encompass the extensive framework of values that ethics represents on its own.