#greantea

Episode 2: Do All People Have Equal Value No Matter Their Actions ?

At face value this appears to what would be a very straightforward conversation, but it was not the case. The major theme of the episode was the definition of value. On one side you could choose to define value as the amount of contributions an individual has within a given domain, say in their field of occupation or within their family. On the other side, value could be defined as an individual's worth as a human which could go down a very dark path when issues of life & death come into play- who is worth more? And by extension who deserves to live more? 

 I believe that we all have an innate base value as humans, and that our actions have the potential to add value to ourselves & those around us. Transitioning into a young adult, I struggled with a paradox of self identity as well as finding meaning in life. I’ve always had an extremely high perception of myself and knew I was capable of doing great things but the outside world did not seem to always reflect this. This in turn put me in a state of turmoil known as cognitive dissonance, in which one’s beliefs do not match their reality. Cognitive dissonance induces stress as we try to sort these contradictions out. The thought process would be as such- “I know that I am capable, but I failed a ‘x’ (a test, a relationship, a goal). Does this mean that I am not capable?” This was replayed ad nauseam.

This line of thinking did not serve me well, and after much deliberation & research I came across the teachings of Dr. Jordan B. Peterson. One of his ideas that helped me the most is best illustrated by Rule 7 of 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, Purse What is Meaningful (Not What is Expedient) and summarized in the following passage-

“Meaning is when everything comes together in an ecstatic dance of single purpose- the glorification of a reality so that no matter how good it has suddenly become, it can get better and better and better better more and more deeply in the future. Meaning happens when that dance has become so intense that all the horrors of the past, all the terrible struggle engaged in by all of life and all of humanity to that moment becomes a necessary and worthwhile part of the increasingly successful attempt to build something truly Might and Good.”

There is an intrinsic relationship between internal meaning(value) & responsibility as stated by Peterson. We find value in accomplishments,  in the hope that the value & derived meaning will justify our suffering. Life is extremely difficult. Anything worth having requires sacrifice & work. Our plans will go awry & life isn’t always fair. Loved one will  pass on, and even we ourselves must face mortality. 

I began to think about how I defined myself and instantly thought of achievements I was proud of. Leaving my hometown at the 18 and setting up a life for myself in a new city hours away. Being a first generation college graduate with a degree in Computer Science. Finding a career so early on that I looked forward to getting up and going to, even on rough mornings. Starting the Infusion Breakdown Show podcast with Josh and Desmond. The amount of work I put into my personal development(self-regulation, empathy) and the obstacles I’ve overcome up to this point. For other people it may be their marriage, parenthood, or the business that they’ve started. It in these things that we find value.

As stated before, we all have a base level of value; there is something sacred about human life but even that can be transcended through achievement and the acquisition of value. For example, look at the millions of people who were moved & inspired by the life of Kobe Bryant. Most of us had never met him, and others, like myself, were not even fans of the game he played. He transcended basketball and represented being the greatest at what he did, further supported by the case for this being made even before his death. Check out a few of his accomplishments-

Won the NBA Championship 5 times, with 3 of them consecutive from 2000-2002. He was named  NBA All-Defensive First Team 9 times during his career. 

Put up 81 points in one game against the Raptors in 2006- the second highest amount of points scored in the NBA to this day. 

His career spanned 20 years in a league where the career expectancy is just under 5. 

He was ranked 3 on the NBA- All Time Scoring list until Lebron James surpassed him in that regard a day before his untimely death.