If our actions do not match our values, are we incorrect about what our values actually are?

Note: This question is in no way an attempt to smuggle in judgment of a particular value. Any examples I may use are for convenience.

John frequently professes that he “loves to read”. When asked about what he would do if had free time, he invariably answers, “I would love to catch up on my backlog of books”. However, in his daily life, he almost never reads. “I just don’t have the time”. When asked about what he really finds to be a meaningful use of his time, he will still say that reading is. Yet, if we were to look at how he spends his time, we may find that for 2 hours per day, he is watching tv, which he claims to hate.

Does John really value reading as much as he thinks he does? Are our actions a more accurate way of identifying what our real values are?

If we value helping those in need, but act as though we don’t, do we really value helping those in need? What if we value raising our children, but spend most of time avoiding real contact with them? What if we value hiking and the outdoors, but spend our weekends in the mall?

Can we be wildly confused about what our true values are?