Culture is about survival of the human species. Intercultural communication is important because through it, humankind has the potential to sort out the cultural values which have lasting effects on the survival of the species, to, in fact, choose those values which seem to have enduring consequences for all humankind. By studying cultural traits, for example, intercultural communication researchers infer values, much like, those in attitudinal research who infer behavior from attitudinal sets. By only studying traits for cultural understanding, we limit our view of the cultural values behind those traits. Reviewing the historical-developmental source of cultures, from primitive humankind to present, reveals a key role that a study of values might play in understanding other cultures. One key goal in the study of cultures is in assessing the survival and predictability of values across the history of humankind.