I can't see the value; can you see the value?

If we're going to play around with a scale of value, then we have to find the far end, where there is something that is totally lacking in value whatsoever. That's difficult to do, because we have to admit that art, having fun, even television has some value. We are human beings, not mechanisms and we devote huge effort to ephemera because we do value them. I also wanted the end-point to be something blatantly commercial, because in the end we are talking about commerce. It took a bit of a thin, but I think I have it.

I started with fingernails. Walk along any King Street in Canada or go to any mall and you will see places that offer fake fingernails and, of late, airbrushed pictures drawn on your nails. That has to be getting close to the end of real value and even of ephemeral value. But it is still not quite far enough. One step further - paid advice about what picture to have spray-painted on your fingernails. There you have it. Dr. John's gnomon of total lack of value. I expect the National Federation of Nail Art Advice Professionals to come after me with torches and pitchforks.No matter. as they tie me to the stake I will still proclaim that they have no value.

I've posed it as a joke. Jokes are useful; done right they make it possible to discuss topics that are emotionally dangerous. Inside that joke there is a strong statement though. Many of us may be doing things and receiving rewards for things that have little of no value. My point, the important point, is that our society has chosen to reward so many low-value pursuits so highly. We have distorted the value metric and now we are paying for it. The easy spending on a huge flat-screen TV is now balanced by worry that the unemployment benefits are low and we must now be careful about what we spend on food. Suddenly we are in that part of the supermarket where produce is marked down because its expiry date is tomorrow.


Dr. J