Valuable
September 22nd, 2025
Most of our lives we spend consuming information that tries to persuade us one thing is more valuable than another. It's hard to describe, but most things try to persuade you they're valuable.
Video games try to convince you they're accomplishments by flashing lights and rewards. People will convince you of their worldview to justify their ego. One way or another we are constantly persuaded of value propositions one way or another. That this information is the "truth of the world."
And the funniest thing is, all these perspectives are valid and invalid. It really depends on the value proposition game you play. Does this align with who I am and what I am?
Most of our lives we don't stop to think "what we really want." That's a pretty common phrase, but I'd extend it to ask—what if what we want are just extensions and functions of the society we live in?
To speak as simply as I can, what I'm saying is that "what we personally want" can't just come out of thin air. It comes from the people around you and the way you grew up, were raised, and how you socialized.
Why am I harping so much on value? Well, let me ask you dear reader—how do you determine how you spend your time and money? What do you find valuable, and perhaps—why do you find it valuable?
How do you discern what you want from what your culture has instilled in you? And perhaps, this is along the idea of color gradients, where the delineation is an abstract category across a spectrum. There's really no distinct "this is what I want" from "this is what society wants." In some ways, society even encourages contrarianism.
It's hard to nail down what I'm trying to communicate here, but hopefully you get it. Cheers.