The "deep story" of the 1973 text is optimistic in a scientific sense: it suggests that because values are organized into a system, they are accessible. If we can understand a person's value hierarchy, we can understand their worldview. Rokeach later used this theory to understand ideology, showing how Liberals and Conservatives prioritize different values (Liberals often prioritizing Equality and Freedom , Conservatives often prioritizing National Security and Tradition ).
From this, he distinguishes:
Milton Rokeach’s The Nature of Human Values moves beyond the idea that humans are merely products of their environment or their urges. It paints a picture of humans as , using a specific set of tools (values) to build a life that makes sense. The "deep story" is that by looking at what a person values most, you can predict where they will go, who they will associate with, and how they will navigate the moral landscape of their life. The "deep story" of the 1973 text is