Worth, or value, exists because need exists. The natural tendency of dynamic systems is to move toward equilibrium. The push and pull involved in such change can be measured in worth. In the most basic sense, organisms, from what scientific observations have consistently shown, possess an innate need to survive. Thus, it is worth an organism's time, effort, and resources to strive for conditions favorable to its survival. Even a person driven to suicide must overcome the instinct to survive in order to go through with the compulsion to die.
The exchange of goods and services which characterize an economy relies upon being able to sense and respond to feelings of worth, both intrinsic and external. We have something that someone else wants, so we communicate in order to facilitate a mutually beneficial exchange. Sure, it would be handy if we could get something for nothing, but such opportunities are rare, such as finding money on the ground. However, even in such windfalls, there are winners and losers. My happiness in finding the money is at the cost of another person's loss.
Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles, and each part and tag of me is a miracle. Walt Whitman
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Recognizing what people, places, things, institutions, and principles are worth to us is one of the first steps in entering into a business relationship in which we stand to gain. Perhaps the most important worth is that which we see within ourselves: our strengths, talents, lessons learned, hopes, dreams, and visions. If we stop there, however, it is easy for us to delude ourselves into thinking that we do not need anything from anyone else, or worse yet, that our needs are so overwhelming that we have nothing real to offer in a business exchange.
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)
The truth is that we were born with worth, and have been growing in value for as long as we have been breathing. However, we can only use this worth by taking stock of it and then sharing it. Everyone around us has worth, as well as need. Opening our eyes to both the needs and worth of those around us begins a process of engagement which can lead to many opportunities for mutually-beneficial exchange. As much as this is driven by nature's tendency toward equilibrium, it never leads to a stagnant steady-state, because life also possesses innate feedback loops of energy which continuously drive growth and change. Competition in a free market is a good example of this type of feedback loop. I engage in a mutually-beneficial relationship with someone, but then along comes a third party who tries to take away this cozy relationship in favor of a similar one with them. This drives me to up the ante, and perhaps even to completely re-evaluate my own worth and needs and to realign my partnerships accordingly.
As important as it is to take inventory of goods and other property, it is equally vital to keep tabs on one's intangible worth as well. What are our strengths, talents, lessons learned, hopes, dreams, and visions, and how might they have changed since we last looked at them honestly?
