Things have value only as long as they are useful. Once they have been used, they lose their value. We spend tens of thousands to buy a TV, a fridge or a washing machine. But after a certain period, when they get damaged or become unusable, we have no option but to sell them. At that time, the price we get is very small. The same applies to many things we sell to scrap dealers- newspapers, magazines, electronic devices, empty plastic containers… once they are used, they lose their value.
A daily newspaper loses its value once all its news has been read. The amount we get at the end of the month by selling old newspapers is insignificant compared to what we pay for them monthly. Only those pieces we cut out and keep based on personal interest become exceptions. The same is true for bottled drinks- once the drink is consumed, the bottle becomes useless. The value lies in what is inside the bottle. Value lies in being useful.
The condition of human beings is also similar. A person’s value lies in their intelligence and abilities. Inner qualities are more valuable than external appearances. But we live in a time when inner worth is not valued enough, while external appearances are given excessive importance.
Not only a person’s clothing, but even the bag they carry or the cover of a textile shop they hold can become a measure of their worth. A person wearing a branded shirt is valued more. A person arriving in an expensive car is valued more. Even someone holding a cover from a famous textile shop is often given more importance.
External factors alone have become the standard for determining value.
There is another aspect to this. There is certainly a time when people are valued more- their youth, their glory, their fame, their period of employment- all these increase a person’s value. But when youth fades and retirement comes, their value declines. This is because their productivity is seen as reduced. We live in a time where a person’s worth is judged by the question: “What benefit can you give me?”
This is why the elderly are often neglected and why respect diminishes after retirement. The respect given to police officers in uniform decreases once they retire. An older person is often seen as having no role here, even if they are capable and healthy enough to work.
But the truth is, every human being has value- at every stage of life. Unfortunately, people often fail to recognize this themselves. Only those who value themselves are valued by others.
How much will society value someone who lives in a disorderly way due to alcoholism? Sometimes, we create our own value. At other times, we destroy it ourselves. A person’s life gains value when it becomes useful to others as well.
