What we get for free is invaluable

Just think about what value really means to us. One definition for value is literally “the price paid for something” so in that case, if you get something for free it has no value to you, since the price to you is 0. Another, more widely used meaning of value is a measure of the usefulness of a thing. Let’s think about a ladder. It allows you to get up higher than you could without it. So it’s value, at its core, is increased upward mobility. Now, if you’re a painter and currently do not have a ladder, a free ladder would hold quite a bit of value to you. But let’s say you already have a ladder that you saved up for and bought for yourself, and are later given another one for free. Which one will be more valuable to you?

Well, that depends on which ladder is more sturdy, reaches up higher, etc. but let’s say they are identical ladders, and you only have a need for one ladder. Now, that free ladder might have been a very nice gesture from someone, and could hold some emotional or sentimental value as a thoughtful gift, but let’s be honest - it isn’t very useful to you. In fact, it probably holds very little value, as measured by its usefulness. You might eventually decide to sell it for less than the giver originally paid, since it cost you nothing, and you don’t have anywhere to keep it. Or, you might even leave it somewhere one day, since you can only carry one ladder at a time, and it has made your days more challenging to move around two ladders, when you only really need one.

There’s one more major element at play here. Let’s take the painter I talked about above, and say he doesn’t have a ladder yet, but really needs one for his work. Let’s consider two options: He saves up money over time, and purchases a ladder for himself after researching and testing out many ladders, to find exactly the one that is best for him. The money he spends on the ladder means he will not get to go visit his family for Christmas this year, and will not be able to purchase that new refrigerator he’s been planning to get until next year.

Or one of his existing customers sees him without a ladder, and one day decides to give him their ladder, which they no longer need. The painter is of course very grateful, but since he did not have to give up his Christmas plans or forgo the new refrigerator, he therefore does not have to feel the impact of getting that ladder - meaning, he does not feel the value of the free ladder nearly as much as he would have felt, if he had sacrificed other important things in order to pay for one himself. Which means, a free ladder does not hold the same level of perceived value as one that would have been purchased at the expense of other important things.

That last example invokes opportunity cost, which is a major element to how people define value. There are of course a few more elements at play, but those become much more complex and involve more social psychology, so I’ll reserve those to avoid putting you to sleep. But the point is - in most cases, a free thing will not be as valuable to the recipient as something that has a cost. It has always been this way, and as far as I can tell, always will be! People don't understand the value of things, rather they don't want to understand. People don't realise the value of water . The taps remain open without any purpose ; the water pipes remain leaked for days together with none to attend them ; and when the same people are starved of water for some genuine reason they start shouting.

And go to any village and see the situation. How women are bringing water from distant places . People don't want to realize unless they face the situation. In the cities and towns you would often find street lights remaining ' on' even in the daytime . As because nobody is paying for the same,at least directly. And those who are supposed to work remain asleep. Many people who I know, pilfer electricity don't bother about switching off the lights and fans when not needed. And the same people would ventilate their grudge when electricity supply is disturbed for a while for some genuine reason.

The reason for such callous behaviour is their ignorance about how much effort and cost are required on a daily basis to provide these services. And how much they would have to pay if they are forced to pay on a strict basis. But the irony is the same man is very much cautious in spending every pie from his pocket. People ' s attitude would change once you make them pay for every service. And attitude of those who are supposed to look after these services would change if they are penalized for any lapse for loss. Without penalty we are here not to learn on our own. This is our nature.

Similarly, if you use a perfume or a deodorant daily, did you noticed you couldn’t smell it any more on you? What do you think has happened in both the cases? Your brain stopped processing. Even though the image of your nose is in middle of all your vision, it no longer processes it, since it is not something your brain thinks is an useful information. Same as in the case with the perfume. The smell is no longer a threat or an interest, so it doesn’t processes it. Our brain’s primary motto is survival and it is always on alert for things that could destroy us, so it ignores non-threatening things.

What has this information got to do anything with the question? We undervalue things we get for free, for example this air we breathe or the light we get from sun is because our brain doesn’t think they are a matter of interest. They are mundane. They are abundant, hence it would not run out of time any time soon. So why bother? As the song goes:

“Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you're missing home”

Once you let go, you’ll start to appreciate greatly, things which are even the most fundamental and free. Cheers!