What is value?
What are values?
Why do we focus on value?
Ultimately, in many ways a value is simply a point of measurement. A small stripe on a ruler or thermometer. A price, a temperature, a height, a weight. A value. A number.
But we use the word in other ways too. We talk of values that are not numbers, we use this word to collect concepts that are much harder to measure.
Living into our values means that we do more than profess our values, we practice them. We walk our talk—we are clear about what we believe and hold important, and we take care that our intentions, words, thoughts, and behaviors align with those beliefs. - Brene Brown
Brené Brown shares a "List of Values" and invites her readers and workshop participants to pick from the list the two they hold most important. Even that is a measuring exercise. We must sort and rank the list of values to identify the ones that matter most to us. We must make a value judgement.
"Fun" is on the list. When we ask "How much fun is this?" it implies that fun can be measured. A situation can be more, or less fun.
When I find myself in a situation where the focus turns to metrics and measurement, I like to quote Shakespeare from the play Antony and Cleopatra.
Cleopatra: If it be love indeed, tell me how much?
Antony: There's beggary in the love that can be reckoned.
Love should be beyond measure. It's a useful touch point.
Sometimes we get so lost in identifying value, and tracking metrics that we lose sight of our real objective.
And yet, to feel valued, to be appreciated, to be recognised as worthwhile, and worthy, is that a universal yearning? Is it something humans need along side food, shelter, safety, and belonging?
I've long puzzled over these questions. I want to know the answer.
But perhaps I don't really need an answer at all. Let this remain as an enigmatic puzzle, a mental fidget spinner to twirl and ponder from time to time.
I'm curious now to hear what others think.