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I bet this sounds a little funny eh? How can someone who considers themselves worthless be happy with themselves instead of miserable? Don't you have to be worthwhile in order to be happy?

Actually it's funny because worth & worthlessness don't really exsist. Love, Approval, Accomplishments don't add to you worth at all. Just because you have some of those things doesn't make you more worthwhile.

Hilter achieved many accomplishments; he was a leader of an army, he made a big impact on the world and many other things...does this make him more worthwhile than other people?

Or how about a famous actor who is liked and accepted by millions of people but is really mean and nasty to people...is he more worthwhile?

Or how bout someone who is completely depressed and has many people around that love them but they don't feel that love. Does that make them more or less worthwhile?

No, No & No

Can you measure how worthwhile someone is? Can you compare their worth with accomplishments, approval or love? Probabbly not.

Worth and Worthlessness are meaningless. As humans we are not static and can always change and grow. Not to mention, if you aren't as good at one thing that doesn't mean you aren't good at anything. Is it reasonable to consider yourself worthless if you can't do one activity to the level you want but you can do 10 others very well? IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!!!!

The idea of worth and worthlessness may only give you fear and misery. Is it really worth it? Why not get rid of that belief. How can you worry about being worthy if you don't even believe it or it's opposite exsists?


Mike

Hi Mike,

Here is another one of your posts that really got me thinking...Thank you for always putting up such insightful posts that moves us to self-wonder and self-relection....

You mentioned, "Love, Approval, Accomplishments don't add to your worth at all," and I whole-heartedly agree with you on this. Adding on to that thought, I however believe in worth...specifically self-worth.

I look at self-worth as being AWARE that I am DESERVING of peace, of love, of respect, of happiness, of humor and all the wonderful things we encounter in life regardless of whether I have achieved a million things, have tons of friends and family or am successful or not. Everyone is deserving of these simple human pleasures regardless of what we've done or accomplished within our lives and this alone is what I consider self-worth.

You also asked, "Can you measure how worthwhile someone is? Can you compare their worth with accomplishments, approval or love? Probably not..."

I also agree with you on that as well...I am aware ONLY of my own self-worth and I believe that everyone should be aware of their own self-worth because believing in your own self-worth also leads to self-love and compassion towards yourself - something we all need to function well with others in our crazy and sometimes chaotic society...

But when it comes to measuring how worthwhile another person is, who am I to even go that route? Indeed, who are we to even look at another person and deem whether they are worthwhile or not. None of us are perfect so it is impossible to do this about others; we can have expectations about others but as to deeming a person worthwhile or not, to me that is tantamount to judging a person....something I try my very best not to do!!

No, all we can do is just be aware of our own self-worth and hope and help others to be aware of their own self-worth too - self-worth meaning being aware that I am deserving of all the simple and wonderful things that life has to offer!!

Thank you for the response, I wasn't sure that anybody would respond to this post.

Very nicely put. You mention about self-worth and this is another way of looking at it. In the book that i got this from he suggested 4 diffrent ways to look at it.

1)Worth doesn't exsist at all.

2)Everybody has the same ammount of worth but you cannot add to it or take it away.

3)There is 1 way to lose a sense of self-worth-by persecuting yourself with unreasonable, illogical negative thoughts.

4)Self-esteem can be viewed as your decision to treat yourself like a beloved friend.

It sounds like you've already adapted the 4th way that was suggested.