[HWPL Peace Education Textbook 2-1] My Value | Why Should We Know Our Value?

[HWPL Peace Education Textbook Chapter 2] A Reason for All Creation Living in Harmony

[2-1] My Value | Why Should We Know Our Value?

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the reasons for the harmony of natural elements.

2. Gain insight into one's own value, influence, roles, and responsibilities.

◆ Valuing oneself allows one to respect others.

Can Elephant Dung Become Paper?

One day, a zookeeper complained about the elephants at the zoo. "Our zoo smells bad and gets dirty because of the elephant dung. They produce so much dung, sometimes up to 16 times a day. And it costs a lot of money to feed them."

To this, another keeper replied, "Haha! But did you know that elephant dung can be used to make paper? Out of the 50kg of dung an elephant produces daily, about 10kg is fiber. With 10kg of fiber, you can make 660 sheets of paper. In a year, that's 240,000 sheets of paper, equivalent to the amount made from 240 trees. With the dung of just one elephant, you can save 240 trees in a year. Isn't that amazing?"

We may think elephant dung is worthless, but it can save up to 240 trees in a year. Even seemingly insignificant things have their own value and uses if examined closely.

Image from Pixabay

The Inherent Value of Natural Elements and Harmony

The first reason for the harmony of natural elements is that they possess inherent value, allowing them to coexist harmoniously. Each natural element has its own role and function, constituting a part of the Earth's ecosystem. Existence implies uniqueness and independence, forming the basis for mutual harmony with other entities. Moreover, beings with life, including humans, possess irreplaceable value.

Value of Life

The first discovery of diamonds is known to be found in India around 500 BC. It was accidentally found by people mining for gold. Initially, nobody knew the value of diamonds. However, as time passed and it became evident that nothing could scratch a diamond, people realized its true worth.

Life is abundant in nature, making it challenging to recognize its value. Humanity has made numerous inventions in various fields such as science, culture, and technology. However, when it was realized that life cannot be created by human science and technology, the true value of life was understood. Humans cannot even create a single blade of grass growing in the field. Creating life is far beyond human capability. This is why beings with life are valuable. Furthermore, life is given only once, and once life is lost, it cannot be brought back, making it the most precious thing that cannot be exchanged for anything else. Merely having life makes us invaluable beings.

Image from Pixabay

Names as Expressions of Inherent Value

Names describe the roles of objects or people and indicate their distinct value and differentiation from others. For example, a hanger describes its role in hanging clothes, and a washing machine describes its role in washing clothes. Human-made objects are given names that describe their roles.

Even trees, which are easily found in nature, have names based on the functions of their organs. Roots absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil and support the tree. The stems and branches contain vessels similar to human blood vessels and lymph vessels, serving as conduits for the movement of nutrients and moisture. Leaves synthesize nutrients through photosynthesis and are responsible for the respiration of trees.

Image from Pixabay

Flowers perform the reproductive function of trees, handling fertilization and pollination, while fruits, containing seeds, primarily disperse seeds through animals to create new individuals. Thus, names describe the functions of these organs and signify their unique value that cannot be replaced by others.

Image from Pixabay

People also have their own names. Parents often spend a lot of time contemplating when naming their children. They may infuse their hopes for what their child will become and the important values and meanings of life into the name. The same goes for when individuals name themselves. Giving a name signifies existing in some form, endowing one's own value and uniqueness.

Moreover, there are names based on roles. A teacher is someone who teaches and guides students, while a student is someone who learns. A designer is someone who designs the colors or shapes of clothes or objects. Names signify the value of the person. Having a name means having one's own unique value that cannot be compared with others'.

Image from Pixabay

Knowing One's Value as the Basis of Harmony

Self-esteem is a term first used by American philosopher William James. It means regarding oneself as a valuable and precious being worthy of love and as a capable person who can achieve something. Sociologist Rosenberg created a self-esteem scale consisting of 10 items to measure self-esteem. Each item, such as "I think I am a person of worth, at least on an equal plane with others," "I feel that I have a number of good qualities," "I am able to do things as well as most other people," reflects the characteristics of people who acknowledge their own worth.

Image from Pixabay

According to the statistics of this test, people with low self-esteem are found to have a high correlation with suicide and depression. It shows that the mindset of denying one's existence or disregarding life is closely linked to the concept of self-esteem. On the other hand, people with high self-esteem tend to be happier. They are happy because they discover and acknowledge their own value. Those who accept and embrace their own existence become more tolerant of others. They respect diversity, which forms the basis for harmony with others. Esteeming life, acknowledging each other's existence, and getting along well—this is the vision of peace that humanity should pursue.

The Probability of My Birth and My Value

What are the chances of me being born? It would be approximately (probability of being born on Earth) × (probability of being born as a human) × (probability of my parents meeting and becoming a couple) × (probability of my parents' sperm and egg meeting).

Considering this, the mere fact of my existence is miraculous. Being born on Earth, where life can thrive, as a human is a blessing. Among the 7.7 billion inhabitants of Earth, each person has a unique appearance. Someone may have a similar name, age, gender, or skin color, but there is not a single person identical to me. Therefore, I myself am inherently valuable and unique just by existing.