The difference between price and value
Happy Tuesday to the world, …
and to you amazing, fascinating, unique person! 🌿💖
Did you know that if you were to lay out all of the arteries, capillaries and veins in your body on a flat surface, they would expand to 100,000 km? In comparison, the circumference of the Earth is "only" 40,000 km. That means, your blood vessels alone could wrap themselves around the planet 2.5 times! 🦚 So if you haven't done it yet this morning, it is now time to officially wrap your arms around you, and GIVE YOUR WONDER BODY A BIG, APPRECIATIVE, EARTH-SHAKING HUG! 🌺🤗 #justdoit
There is so much to learn out there - let's choose wisely.
Just as we are not aware of many of our own body's amazing secrets, we have to open our eyes, and question many of the things which until now we've taken as a given: What we learn in school (remember, history is always written by the winners), how the economy works (the idea that we have endless resources is just plain wrong), what we eat (really, do we need meat every day?), and how we, as human beings shall live, work and earn (as doctors, engineers, and accountants?) to be safe, secure and happy. 🦚
"You will never make money with studying philosophy."
Until today, I still hear my father's voice ringing in my head, when I presented the idea to move to Heidelberg and sign up for philosophy class. Fast forward to one and a half decades later - it did not turn out that bad, dad! 😅 I remember particularly one paper that I wrote about the difference of price and value - and all its abstract knowledge comes now, in the times of global despair, quite handy.
For instance, we all say without thinking: the value of this watch is 1 CR (ok, nobody says this really🙈). The value of my bank account currently is 200 rupees (yes, more likely🤗). This item's value is xyz. What we actually mean is PRICE. The price of the watch we are willing to pay is 1 CR, the amount of money on my bank account is currency-traded so it results to 200 INR at this point of time, and the item costs xyz. What is the difference? A price is the result of a trade: Two people agreeing that they exchange x amount of currency for a good (just like two guys in the stone ages would trade three sea shells against a mug of saber-tooth-cat-milk (and I am sure he got ripped off even then🐯😅)).
A value, however, in its original form is non-tradable and non-negotiable. That's why we say "he / she has a great set of values" and mean with it things like: Trustworthiness. Honesty. Fairness. Transparency. The capacity to care and share. But the economist sees a problem here: when you cannot trade, there is no profit to be made. The result: values over time became somehow negotiable, too - and our current world is a wonderful example of the same. 👀
Rivers do not drink their own water. Trees do not eat their own fruit. Clouds do not swallow their own rain. What great ones have is always for the benefit of others.
So what can we change? This question can be rather overwhelming given the complexity of the world we live in, but all it takes is the first of many small, dedicated steps. Today, this means to simply take 70 minutes of your day, and watch this multi-award-winning documentary called "Real Value". Check out the trailer here before you continue reading:
Big is not always better, and it is our generation that has to learn it the hard way. On the other hand, it is an amazing opportunity to put SMALL THINGS in action right away. You don't have to set-up a social business, or re-structure your family's firm. You only have to start with changing things within your direct community to see a massive ripple effect.
Think about what you can bring on the table (in many cases, quite literally) to improve your direct environment - and in the best case, without asking for something in return. Think about how you can buy different products the next time you go shopping, for example the one's that are locally produced, and not by a gigantic brand. Think about what you can teach your cook at home about food (farmers market versus super market), shopping (natural options versus chemical ones), or consumption (improve quality, not quantity) that he or she then - whenever it is possible to safely return to their villages - can teach his or her community at home. And, of course, WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM HIM OR HER? Have you ever wondered how many simple tools and techniques are out there, right in front of you, we city people just don't know about? Today, make it a point to ask. Find out. Learn. Discover five ways that make SMALL LIFE BEAUTIFUL - and start where you are, with what you have, right now. 💖 You've got this!
Please find here the link to the full documentary:
Enjoy opening your eyes, and tell me what changes you made, or how the conversations at home went. I am eager to learn from you! 🦚🤗☘️
With love from Goa,
Isabelle 🌿
