Someone said to me recently that I needed to find my intrinsic value, separate and apart from what I do for others . . . separate and apart from what others think about me or feel for me. And I must confess, I'm at a loss. I know . . . I know . . . I have value as a human being. I believe that my lifeforce is a part of something greater: souls, connected energy. (I recognize that some of you don't believe that and would love to know your take on this topic.) But I really struggle with applying that to my everyday existence. Honestly, I find it difficult to wrap my head around what my value is, if it's not as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, volunteer, performer, leader, advocate, community member . . . By just existing I have value? Why? What is it?
What if I haven't been born yet? Do I have value if my mom doesn't want me? Does her value outweigh mine? Does she get to decide whether I live or die? If so, for how long? Do some white men in suits or robes on Capitol Hill get to decide? For how long?
What if I'm in a coma? I'm probably not going to wake up. Does that mean my life has lost its value? Can it be regained if the probability that I will wake up goes up by 10%? 20%? 50%? When does my life get its value back?
What if I'm a poor black man who killed someone? Do I have value if a jury of my "peers," who are mostly white, middle-class people, decide I don't? Should they be allowed to decide whether I live or die? Is my life worth less than theirs? If so, when did it lose its value? Was it when I was born black? Was it when I lost all my money? Was it in the moment I lost control and killed someone? Or was it when a jury of mostly middle-class, white people was impaneled to hear my trial?
What if I'm a cow? Does my life have value, or only my flesh and the milk I produce? Why? When did my life lose value? When I was born a calf? When I became an adult cow? What makes the value of my life less than that of your dog? We both have four legs. Neither one of us speaks human (with the possible exception of those dogs who howl "I love youuuu!"). Whose to say your dog wouldn't taste good on a bun with ketchup? Why are you looking at me like that? Oh, I see. Your dog has value because he's YOUR dog. You have formed a relationship with him and now he has value, because of his relationship to you.
And we come back around to my initial point. Outside of what I offer other people, why do I have value? What would I have to do to lose it? Who decides?
Man, these are tough questions with no obvious answers. That's why abortion, death penalty, euthanasia, war, health care, human rights, and animal rights are such controversial issues. We all think OUR point of view on the value of life is the just and moral view.
"Clearly all life has value, as long as the person hasn't killed someone. Then it's 'eye for an eye'."
"Clearly all life has value, as long as it hasn't been born yet."
"Clearly all life has value, unless you're from THAT country. Then you deserve to have a bomb dropped on you."
"Clearly all life has value, unless you're asleep for a long time. Then you're better off dead."
"Clearly all life has value, unless you have no health insurance. Then you deserve to die."
"Clearly all life has value, except non-human life. Oh, but that doesn't apply to my cat."
I put these thoughts out there not to try and convince anyone of anything, but in the hope that maybe someone will see another person's perspective and not be so quick to judge and hate. I leave you with the perspective of Henry David Thoreau:
“There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.”
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