The Source of Value

There is a nickname for the human species that is often invoked in models of exchange and rational decision making. The nickname is “homo economicus”. This implies a simple yet profound truth about the nature of being human and participating in the human experience: we are creatures driven by economic calculations, perhaps at our very deepest and most essential levels. Even if we do not consciously observe this process, or even ever become aware of it, it is always there, working behind the scenes of every interaction we have and decision we make. More fundamental still is the elusive concept of value, the often nebulous but deeply compelling sense of whether things are worth having or experiences worth doing. We are driven by this sense at all times and yet, when you drill down to its essence, its ultimate source and nature becomes elusive, ineffable, protean, and just plain mysterious. And yet, it is always there, forcing evaluations, compromises, monumental decisions at every level. What is it? Where does it come from? How is it created? And what is a definition we can ultimately agree on if indeed this is even possible? We’ll be exploring all of that and more today on Thinking Hard, or Hardly Thinking. Learn more about Aaron at www.aaronjmarx.com Read/listen to the Entrepreneurial Manifesto: https://www.aaronjmarx.com/manifesto