What's it worth to you?

I often reflect on how different something’s value and worth can be to us. I have a relative (who shall remain unnamed) who once proudly explained to me how much an antique lamp was worth. A lamp which, significantly, was in a storage closet and they didn’t actually use. Also, significantly to me at least, it was the ugliest lamp I’d ever seen! 

The dictionary definition of value includes “monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade” while worth is “usefulness or importance, as to the world, to a person, or for a purpose.” A more clear example of this difference is when someone has an old, beat-up car that, at best, could get them a couple hundred bucks and a “just thank me for the money and I’ll haul it away.” That’s it’s value, but its worth to the person is something quite different. That car gets the person to and from work, allows them to get groceries from the good store, not the dollar store down the street, allows them to do fun activities, and so on. If that car broke down, someone may offer them a couple hundred dollars for the scrap metal and parts, but the car is undoubtedly worth thousands more. If the person doesn’t have reliable transportation to and from work, they could lose their job. If they can’t get healthier food, it could negatively impact their health. The car’s worth is exponentially more than its value.

I suppose that’s something we can keep in mind when we talk to others. Just because something may not have much monetary value doesn’t mean that it’s not worth much; conversely, just because something has a high monetary value doesn’t mean it inherently has worth