How to Find Your Value January 31, 2007
Posted by Christopher Evatt in Knowing Yourself, Purpose, Questions and Answers.2 comments
In response to a comment on If Everybody Did What They Wanted.
How do we learn to see our strengths? Find our personal value?…what makes us unique?
Why this can be difficult:
…because people have learned to value others for what they have learned; how they behave; what they have; what they have done. Collectively we have institutionalised this.
With education…you are ignorant; we will teach you; then test you to see if you can recall what we have taught; give you our certificate to say you are no longer ignorant i.e. you are qualified. Because there is always another level of qualification we can believe we are not good enough (of value) until we have reached that “other” level…and the next.
With families…if you do as we say (i.e. behave…be a “good” girl or “good” boy) you will be valued.
With religion…you are unworthy (no worth = no value) do what we say and you will become worthy and you will find out after you die. Those you leave behind will get your certificate. Your death certificate.
With work…you are valued according to the perceived contribution you make to achieving the organisation’s goals. No contribution = no value.
The financial world…your value is a function of the value of the material assets (and financial instuments) you own. If you have nothing of value = you are of no value.
The world of law…if you keep to the law you have zero value; if you break the law you have minus value and are defined by others by the crime you have commited e.g. you are a thief; a killer.
Who benefits? How do they benefit?
