Human beings, regardless of culture and location, look at all things according to their use, purpose, and value.  Two of the most common questions we ask ourselves when we discover any new thing are “What is it and what does it do?” and more importantly, “What can it do for me?”

Anything that has a purpose or use to a human is a product, and the easiest way to value a product is with money.  Therefore, a price can be attached to manufactured products, places, pets and livestock, and even people are appraised by other people.  It may be shocking to put a price on a person, but people have used money to represent a person’s value for centuries.  Just think of a few words with the word “money” affixed to the entire definition.  Some of these can include: slave, courtesan, geisha, baseball player, heir, dowry, beneficiary, employee, and salaried.  And, don’t forget longer labels such as high-net-worth-individual.  Even the title of stay-at-home mom is currently valued in the six figure range according to MSN.

Naturally, determining a person’s value cannot be totally summed up in a sticker-price as there are a multiplicity of ways to value someone based on measures such as skills, personality, sex, property, love, friendship, conversation, knowledge, strength, experience, humor, and more.  Still, these measures are things that we humans value, and so, we try and put a price on them.  Since people see their fellow people as products, this frame of mind leaves us all to ask ourselves some important questions:

What kind of product or person do you want to be?

What kind of value do you want to have and make?  What would a life-insurance professional say you’re worth?  If that price is too low for you, what would you produce or create in life to change the misperception?

What product-category, groups, or clubs bring you value? What value do you bring in turn to these people-product-categories or demographics?

How do you avoid becoming a commodity?

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