Introduction
Depending on an individual’s perspective, the worth of human life can be grasped on many levels and has many different connotations. People should enjoy every moment of their lives and not waste worrying about what might have been. It is critical to have a reason to live; that reason should be love and happiness. Sometimes I pause to consider how fortunate I am to have my loved ones and the necessities of life. My appreciation for these things has directed me to value them highly because they have positively impacted my life. The demise of my cousin Jamel has taught my family and me to appreciate the finer things in life, and I want you to see that. In theory, two people can develop deep feelings for one another because everyone has a unique history, perspective, and web of relationships. Human beings share an inexplicable bond, whether physical, psychological, or metaphysical.
Discussion
The truth is that anyone can identify with the emotions evoked by these connections. Since it is a personality expressed by humans, everyone has limitless potential and value. Empathizing with others is human nature engrained into the brain. Empathy allows a person to compare their situations with other people’s and understand what they are feeling and thinking. When we empathize with others, we can feel their pain as if it were our own (Elvik 35). When attempting to cope with excruciating pain, it can be helpful to imagine and evaluate a hypothetical scenario based on the actual situation. Even a few years later, the death of my cousin Jamel is the only event that has significantly impacted how I view life and the things most important to me. That was the one event in my life that broke my heart more than anything else. He was traveling through the Dominican Republic when he was involved in a tragic car accident and died there.
Dominicans did not know Jamel, but he was someone’s son, brother, confidant, and even fiancé, and he was no longer there when we needed him. When horrible things happen, it is human nature to think about how easy it would have been for us or someone we care about to be in that circumstance. When we feel compassion for those suffering, it is difficult to tell what a stranger would have meant to someone else (Elvik 47). It is critical to remember that empathy is the foundation of all human emotions and should never be favored before financial benefit.
The worth of human life is measured not by how long people live but by the significance they bring to the lives of others around them in society. Jamel was fantastic and did his best to make everyone around him laugh and be happy. He was not prejudiced but kind and friendly to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity. Jamel traveled much and experimented with people’s lifestyles as Jamel appreciated the thrill of new experiences. Despite his admirable characteristics, he, like everyone else, had a dark side. He was a risky driver who thrived in pushing the limits of what was physically possible. Society considered him an unruly and pampered youngster; everyone concerned about him and his driving habits tried vainly to warn him. The extended family was uninterested in him or what was going on in his life, and they did everything they could to avoid him. Unfortunately, when traveling through the Dominican Republic and driving down the highway, he lost control of the vehicle, killing him and shattering his ambitions and hopes.
The worth of a single human life cannot be accurately estimated since it is impossible to put a price on a person’s life. No money could ever replace the priceless experiences, insights, and affection shared by the people whose lives have been cut tragically short (Elvik 39). When dealing with large populations, the government can only make educated guesses about economic loss or potential contribution. However, the question of who would pay in a typical catastrophe remains unanswered. Following catastrophic events like 9/11, the only time economic value is appropriately assessed and compensated for is at the end of the disaster’s life cycle. Exactly these situations are the only ones in which such things can happen. Due to the regular occurrence of death and the unpredictability of compensation, it is challenging for society to place the value of human life solely on economic grounds.
Everyone has experienced, can relate to, or can imagine going through a loss of some kind. Whether the death was a sudden accident or an ongoing natural cause, everyone grieves in their own unique way. Some people compete with others for being devastated, while others demand an apology even when no one is listening. Some take medicines, while others are confined to their homes. Grief can manifest in various ways, but at its core, it always takes a significant emotional toll on the sufferer (Elvik 41). There is no way to evaluate how much a single person is worth to someone, given the wide range of possibilities presented by the spectrum.
Following Jamel’s death, we went through his belongings and discovered the medical documents he had hidden within. After an extensive examination of the documents, we determined that Jamel had been suffering from depression for quite some time, and no one, not even his immediate family, was aware of this. Something was bothering him, and the shift in his mood, his enthusiasm for adventures, his peculiar driving style, and his rebellious behavior were just a few of the hints. We were sad and wished we had known sooner so that we might have saved his life. As a result of what happened, we solemnly pledge to ensure that this never happens to another family member. We devised a strategy and decided to organize a family get-together monthly so that people discuss the challenges they experience in their lives and make more informed judgments and solutions. We made it a point to dine together to enjoy each other’s company while we were still living.
Conclusion
To summarize, life is a beautiful platform of experiences, perspectives, positives, negatives, and everything. Due to the wide range of opinions and experiences, it is difficult to assign a monetary value to the worth of human life. The idea of putting a monetary value on human life is absurd. Since such thinking is futile, society should only be concerned with the inherent moral value of the people in their immediate surroundings. Since life cannot be counted, we must recognize and value those components of it that cannot be quantified while striving to experience as much as possible in this life.
Work Cited
Elvik, Rune. The Value of Life: The Rise and Fall of a Scientific Research Programme. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2018.