Value

We assign different value to different things in life, not just a monetary value but a nostalgia value as well. Some call it a sentimental value, but let us face it, the emotions encapsulated by the ‘thing’ originates from the memories associated with it. Let us not get sidetracked by the details, although I would be the first one to argue that details are the essence of things. To the heart of the subject, what is the value that we associate with our life?

This train of thoughts is the result of a rather ironic anecdote. A person, exhaling a puff from his cigarette, asked me if vaping is dangerous for the health. I was taken aback from the question seeing the context that it was asked in, my reaction was, at this moment, (sorry for the harshness) ‘What the fuck man…’

It then occurred to me that the value is not placed on the life itself, but on the way out. In this particular instance, the person who was already gambling his life away smoking was more concerned about whether vaping would be worst, eventually bringing death closer. The true irony is that a smoker may not even die of lung problems because there are millions other ways to die.

Re-centering on myself, what is the value that I assign to my way out? I never considered this aspect of rationalization before, and I still cannot fully comprehend it. How am I to put a value on something I have zero control upon? Some will say you do not have full control, but you can affect the outcome to some degree. It is basically saying that every action has a reaction, if you smoke a cigarette your risk of getting cancer goes up slightly, but you still can get hit by a car and die before you get the time to smoke a second one, meaning that this one cigarette had zero impact on your life.

Therefore, let the value I assign to my life be none.

Dear readers, if you are within the same plane of thinking as me, let us take it as a vow, that we will live the present to the fullest. Do what feels right to you, stop worrying about the what ifs, let us be finally happy and free from the burden of existence. Make the most of it, we are all going to be void afterwards.