What determines the worth of a person? For the wage earner, is it the amount of earned income? For the salesperson, is it the bottom line? For the politician, is it the bills or laws they help pass? In a capitalistic society, we decide the financial worth of a person based on the value that person creates for others. This creates a unique way to motivate people in the system to do and become more. The trouble with this system is that it often it causes us to see others at face value. Minimum wage is the lowest an employer can pay in the United States. Beyond that depends on what value a person provides by what they choose to do.
As a teenager, my first job was washing dishes at a restaurant. I wanted to make some money but had no intentions on doing that job the rest of my life. After a while, I switched to a bus boy cleaning off tables. The waitresses shared some of their tip money with me because I kept their tables looking nice. When I saw them stress while rushing around, I also helped with smaller tasks like drink refills. In return, a few of them gave me a little extra for my effort. In those early days, I learned how creating more value than I was paid for could lead to extra cash.
I switched jobs several more times in the following years. Each time was a bump up from the previous job. It was good starting from the bottom of the income bracket. I wouldn’t have believed it at my youthful age, especially the time when I asked my boss for a raise and he told me I wasn’t worth what he was already paying me. But, looking back, it helps me appreciate more where I am now. It does something else too. Since everyone does not have the same goals and ambitions in life, they may be perfectly content not climbing as high as others. Having worked in the restaurant and retail industries, I have a much greater appreciation for what they have to deal with. If that is what a person chooses to do, I am happy for them. It’s important to respect other people’s choices. It is alright to encourage them to do better for themselves, but you must never look down on them. All positions, no matter what level they are on, are needed or they wouldn’t be there.
It takes each person, serving a need in our communities to make the entire system function as intended. Whenever our car breaks down, there is always a person there to fix it. We once got an education but if children are born, we would want them to have one too, so teachers are needed. Every job is needed and needs a person to fill it. When the system works, it’s truly a beautiful thing! Our system may have started with things like farming and blacksmithing but today it has advanced so much that we even have cat psychologists. The needs of people speak for themselves.
If you want to be worth more, financially speaking, create more value for other people. Eventually, it will pay off. Find a need and fill it!