What Family, Money, and Aliens say about Human Value

All humans have equal value, regardless of wealth, appearance, job, or beliefs.

This is a platitude that has become devoid of meaning due to overuse. But I'm writing about it anyway because it's an important truth about reality.

You likely value your family. They're the greatest thing in the world, right?

Now, choose a stranger's family at random, and you feel nothing. There is no attachment, no memories, and therefore no value.

That stranger feels similarly about your family.

Whether mint-conditioned or crumpled and torn, every $1 bill has the same value.

Why is this harder to accept with people?

If aliens visited Earth, would they be able to rank humans?

I think they'd struggle. To them, humans would be one species on a planet of millions.

Aliens would likely see cockroaches and weeds as equal to us. They are just another species.

But since cockroaches are gross and weeds distract from our beautiful hydrangeas, they have less value in our eyes.

We are too involved in Earthly matters to see that we exist on the same planet as cockroaches and weeds.

We only see humans as unequal when we view a piece of their lives through our experience.

Only in narrow, singular perspectives can we equate the life of another as worth more or less.

But value only exists when you're living within the system.

And it's valuable to step outside the human sphere and see that everything is made of the same atoms and molecules.