Value theory

[Ethan1]

Brain dumping some thoughts I'm thinking about. What exactly is "Value". Seems like a word that people don't really think about but interact with all day and everyday. 

Google definition :

1. The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
2. a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.
3. estimate the monetary worth of. 
4. consider (someone or something) to be important or beneficial; have a high opinion of

Things that come to mind.. 

• Social status in a group
• Personal & family value system
• Social values in society
• Monetary value & worth 
• Social proof

I find it bizarre how we live in a world that appraises the value for nearly every single tangible or intangible object. A unique price. Such as the cost of land to the cost of a bottle of water. Which creates this very complex financial system. Even complex financial institutions that create value from playing with the accounting system. 

If that's not enough people inherently measure the social value of a person through almost every spoken word or no words. Through nonverbal communication or verbal communication. 

Funny to see how value is relative. As is beauty is relative to the eyes of the beholder. Yet even beauty is a means to measure social value or social status. 

Even information and knowledge is way to measure value. People will go into great amounts of debt for a perceived source of value. People hire & invest based on the value they perceive they will generate in the future. People can also value their time. Time can be a way to measure one's worth. Interesting how people are paid based on the hourly value of their finite time. Imagine that every decision has a value and opportunity cost. The cost of starting a business vs going to school. We measure with the value of priorities. 

Even if the materialism thing holds little value to you or me. We can personally value many different things. A persons value system is so unique. Such as large interests in certain hobbies or small interests such as food. I may really value self-actualization. You may value working on a car instead or singing.

The things that are usually free hold some of the greatest sources of value. The value of a man's words to another. I believe words can hold value. Soo what is this "value" thing? Small word but complex idea. 

[Milos Uzelac]

It's a very good question having in mind in its one of the core concepts of justifying social beliefs (I think all values fundamentally arise from societal conditioning by a certain social order and myths of doing what's needed in order to ensure a way of life surviving)  that are used to guide you on how you should act and what you should do in your life. I approach modern value theory (not just economic) though from a Marxian perspective (through the knowledge that I gathered about it so far). I think it fundamentally boils down today for most of us of understanding of what we value to classical economic theories (which I guessed, at least think I recognized in in illustrating some of your examples in turns of developing talents and surviving in a market based economy with them). This is my current non developed perspective on them though. 

I would also recommend watching this not to long video of Bodriar on Impossible Exchange where he touches on this issue of what people today mostly perceive value and how it is connected to an attempt of exchangiabiliaty of everything on the marketplace. 

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by Milos Uzelac

[Ethan1]

@Milos Uzelac I've been trying to understand social conditioning more. Seems like on YouTube not many people discuss the depths and influence it has on our lives and society. I appreciate you saying that because I think about social conditioning all the time. 

Yeah, looking at meta-exhange as a value is outside the box thinking. We can only take value so far. 

I want to add that I'm reading a book called Goals by Brian Tracy. Today I read chapter 4 which is about "clarifying values" . Funny to come across your response and share this. 

He talks about at the very core of a person is values. At the heart creates most actions we do in life. 

1. Values
2. Beliefs
3. Expectations 
4. Attitude
5. Actions

Like you said it's probably social conditioning which creates these values in this situation. People don't know theirselves and what they truly value. Let alone why. They adopt value systems that society programs and brainwashes to hold for the sake of conformity and survival. 

The unexamined life is not worth living. A person feels most valuable when they are living in alignment to what they value the most in this life.

Also talked about how self-esteem is determined by how much you like yourself. Which self-esteem is determined from self-image. Self-image is shaped by having a self-ideal. Self-ideal is based on values, goals, hopes, dreams, virtues, aspirations. Not living up to the ideal self creates a lower self esteem.

When I hear the word self esteem I hear self-worth. Self-worth or Self-value. Even self-love. How do we know this isnt just an illusion or story of the mind that is false. By being born you are worthy of value. Others may not recognize the value but it is there. Even one may not see value in certain ways but there is value. Love is an essential value. Value is highly relative. How do you know your values? By how you see your self or by how others see you? Is it even worth acknowledging? 

A dollar to you may be worth a sense of freedom or great pleasure for the perceived value it holds. To me it may mean nothing as merely a piece of paper or an illusionary promissory note that is like a carrot on a stick that holds just a promise of this thing called value. 

I'm personally trying to go through the process of examining my internal values. To prioritize what I value the most in this life. Examine from the top down. I personally haven't done much self-actualizing or interalization to know this stuff. I really am just figuring this stuff out. Not necessarily to feed this false illusion of an ego. More to understand these web of beliefs and values I hold. 

[Milos Uzelac]

Sorry for not responding been in a self created entertainment rut/addiction the previous day and couldn't get myself to think this through. After I am done studying tomorrow I will give you a concise response but I think if you are on my self level they are a very much real and necessary starting point mostly in terms of holding obligations and doing something and being accountable with in an organised way with people in a wider society for achieving small material day to day existantial needs and accomplishing and commiting to common day to day future plans. For example telling the truth (with the small t - real experience and action articulated in speech which for example I am not doing with my grandparents in terms of studying). An early prevention from an egoic ideology of moral nihilism perhaps. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by Milos Uzelac

[Milos Uzelac]

BTW Thanks for sharing about that book I am not currently reading anything from the self development genre at the moment probably should given my current life position, started on a history of early Chrustianity book the Origin of Satan by Elaine Paigles - on how and why early orthodox Christian churches and the  Church fathers took the persona of Satan from his original metaphor in Judaism as mostly  personal hindrance or obstacle in living in accordance to God and repurposed and recontextualized in various historic epochs this term to generally rally and unify Christians believers and followers of the orthodox* (all of them that fall under the orthodoxy category including catholic and later various protestant  denominations) in externalizing Satan to various individuals and groups of people deemed a political or in teaching a theological threat in the history of orthodox churches.