Value is a relative concept, like time, truth, right and wrong. There is no fixed value for things, first because value can change, and second because value can be quite variable for different people. In the same sense, what may seem trivial to you can be life-saving for others. What you consider worthless can be priceless for me, and vice-versa. Even for the same person, what may be unimportant now can turn out to be very crucial later on, with the change of circumstances, change of one's opinion, or lifestyle, or any other parameter of change. You can simply realise that you were giving enormous value to something that does not deserve all this attention, just as you can discover that you have thrown away such a precious thing or person that used to belong to you.
A good example of how variable value is can be seen in the marketing strategies of new products. When a new brand of cars or mobiles, or even a new type of food entree are first introduced into the market, their prices are usually very high, just because they are new. In time, these products' price decrease, without any change in the quality or conditions governing the selling process. What actually happens is that they are first presented with a fake higher value, and after they lose the glow of being new they fall back to their real value. With more time, other technologies get to be introduced, and in spite of no deterioration in the quality of the product, it gets cheaper with time. It does not matter if this system is more reliable, or this outfit is more comfortable, what is new and fashionable will definitely be more expensive.
What drew my attention to this concept is a part of Prophet Joseph's story. When ,out of envy, his brothers threw him into the well in stead of killing him, the merchants who found him in the well decided to sell him as a slave. Because those merchants did not know the real value of the kid they found, they sold him for a very low price. They did not know that this young boy will be remembered throughout history, or that he is a Prophet and the son of a Prophet. They did not know that he will be the minister of treasury in a couple of years and save the whole country from the dilemma of the famine. Had they known how important and valuable he is, they would not have seen him with the same indifferent eye.
Some travellers came by. They sent someone to draw water and he let down his bucket. 'Good news!' he exclaimed. 'Here is a boy!'. They hid him like a piece of merchandise - God was well aware of what they did - and they sold him for a small price, for a few pieces of silver: so little did they value him. Qur'an: (12 [Joseph]: 19, 20)
Sometimes we can see things that others do not. We can hold dear to our hearts dreams, concepts, or little dear things that are silly and useless in the eyes of others. These things can be very true to us, and totally ridiculous to others. I believe that I should try to see how others view and value life, but I cannot and should not let go of my valuable things. I learnt, the hard way, that there are three things in life that we should highly esteem but we sometimes do not; dreams, principles, and people. Losing any of these invaluable three is irrecoverable. Failing to protect one's dreams, letting go of one's principles in life, or losing a dear person are grave mistakes that we do when we should know better.
I learnt that I should not lose people if I can keep them, even if they are not so dear to me, because I have seen how this loss can be painful. I learnt not to let go of my dreams even if I am the only one who can see that they are attainable, because if I lose them I will not be myself. Even if I am not destined to reach them all, they keep me going, and on the way, I reach higher places that I would not have reached without those higher aspirations. I learnt not to ridicule the dreams of others, because I know how I value mine. I learnt not to promise if I cannot keep my word, not to let go of what I believe is right even if other see this as being difficult. There will be a day when they understand, and even if they do not, it is enough for me that I can sleep with a clear conscience. The value of my dreams, of my word, or of the people I love, are simply great and grave.
Value seems to be one of those things that people will always see from a different angle. There is no right or wrong here. Yet, under-estimation and over-estimation are two mistakes that we always fall for. We can try, but will not succeed everytime, to put things in their rightful positions, to think before buying or selling, to take a moment and see; is it worth it? How many times do we ask ourselves this question? Personally, I started to include it in my routine thinking.
A good example of how variable value is can be seen in the marketing strategies of new products. When a new brand of cars or mobiles, or even a new type of food entree are first introduced into the market, their prices are usually very high, just because they are new. In time, these products' price decrease, without any change in the quality or conditions governing the selling process. What actually happens is that they are first presented with a fake higher value, and after they lose the glow of being new they fall back to their real value. With more time, other technologies get to be introduced, and in spite of no deterioration in the quality of the product, it gets cheaper with time. It does not matter if this system is more reliable, or this outfit is more comfortable, what is new and fashionable will definitely be more expensive.
What drew my attention to this concept is a part of Prophet Joseph's story. When ,out of envy, his brothers threw him into the well in stead of killing him, the merchants who found him in the well decided to sell him as a slave. Because those merchants did not know the real value of the kid they found, they sold him for a very low price. They did not know that this young boy will be remembered throughout history, or that he is a Prophet and the son of a Prophet. They did not know that he will be the minister of treasury in a couple of years and save the whole country from the dilemma of the famine. Had they known how important and valuable he is, they would not have seen him with the same indifferent eye.
Some travellers came by. They sent someone to draw water and he let down his bucket. 'Good news!' he exclaimed. 'Here is a boy!'. They hid him like a piece of merchandise - God was well aware of what they did - and they sold him for a small price, for a few pieces of silver: so little did they value him. Qur'an: (12 [Joseph]: 19, 20)
Sometimes we can see things that others do not. We can hold dear to our hearts dreams, concepts, or little dear things that are silly and useless in the eyes of others. These things can be very true to us, and totally ridiculous to others. I believe that I should try to see how others view and value life, but I cannot and should not let go of my valuable things. I learnt, the hard way, that there are three things in life that we should highly esteem but we sometimes do not; dreams, principles, and people. Losing any of these invaluable three is irrecoverable. Failing to protect one's dreams, letting go of one's principles in life, or losing a dear person are grave mistakes that we do when we should know better.
I learnt that I should not lose people if I can keep them, even if they are not so dear to me, because I have seen how this loss can be painful. I learnt not to let go of my dreams even if I am the only one who can see that they are attainable, because if I lose them I will not be myself. Even if I am not destined to reach them all, they keep me going, and on the way, I reach higher places that I would not have reached without those higher aspirations. I learnt not to ridicule the dreams of others, because I know how I value mine. I learnt not to promise if I cannot keep my word, not to let go of what I believe is right even if other see this as being difficult. There will be a day when they understand, and even if they do not, it is enough for me that I can sleep with a clear conscience. The value of my dreams, of my word, or of the people I love, are simply great and grave.
Value seems to be one of those things that people will always see from a different angle. There is no right or wrong here. Yet, under-estimation and over-estimation are two mistakes that we always fall for. We can try, but will not succeed everytime, to put things in their rightful positions, to think before buying or selling, to take a moment and see; is it worth it? How many times do we ask ourselves this question? Personally, I started to include it in my routine thinking.
