How should the ITIL Guiding Principles be combined when an organization is making a decision?

ITIL Version 5 makes clear that the guiding principles interact with and depend on each other. The text explains that organizations should not treat them as isolated rules or apply one principle mechanically in every case. Instead, decision-makers should recognize the relationships between the principles and consider how each may apply to the context. ITIL provides examples: if an organization is progressing iteratively with feedback, it should also think and work holistically; focusing on what is truly valuable supports keeping things simple and practical. This supports option C, which says each guiding principle should be considered to understand its relevance before applying it. Option A is too rigid because ITIL does not say all principles must be used equally in every decision. Option B is incorrect because ITIL never recommends one principle as the basis for every decision. Option D is too narrow and arbitrary, since the principles should be considered in context rather than starting with a fixed pair. Therefore, the ITIL 5 view is contextual, integrated, and balanced, making C the verified answer.