Do we value more what costs more?

Hundreds of centuries ago Sophocles said that “success depends on effort”. Today few doubt such an expression. But, since it is such an absolute sentence, questions arise around it. Do we value more what costs more? What price do we have to pay for the dreams we strive to fulfill?

In reality, it is very simple to say “try hard with all your might and you will achieve your dreams.” But what’s next? Do we really value that achievement in its fair measure and will we always maintain that valuation? …And then, once we realize that perhaps the challenge is going to cost us more than we had anticipated, is it wise to throw in the rest? Let’s see what some experts say about what we value.

Do we value more what costs the most?

I would like to start by explaining the position defended by neuropsychologist Sergio Lotauro. This specialist has dedicated years of work to finding answers about what we especially value and why. He has also done it with little people of a surprising age compared to what participants in psychology experiments usually have.

Many of his ideas are based on a curious study carried out with babies years ago. In it, the children were provided with two striking toys at a certain distance. The difference was that To reach one of them, there was no obstacle, while to reach the other you had to overcome a transparent acrylic barrier..

The curious fact is that Although it may seem crazy, all the children tried to get the toy that was hardest to reach.. In fact, they looked for any method to overcome the hurdle and reach the desired prize, no matter how much effort or energy they had to expend in the process.

Thus, we could ask ourselves if this passion for the difficult or the unattainable – which we show on some occasions – is our own decision or, on the contrary, if it were in our very nature. Is such behavior implicit in our own DNA?

The allure of the forbidden

For Lotauro, Human beings have a natural need to desire what they cannot have.. According to him, we will act with an insistence, which can border on the reckless, to satisfy our need to feel that we are in control, or at least, believe that we are.

For this reason, the psychologist provides various examples in which we can all, to a greater or lesser extent, see ourselves reflected. This is the case of famous people. Our partner may be a physically beautiful person. Or maybe we see desirable profiles in the neighborhood, at the supermarket or on the bus. However, Some movie, music or even sports stars are totally irresistible to us., sometimes, irrationally and uncontrollably. It is the attraction of the forbidden.

According to the psychologist, they are people who we feel are unique and unattainable. Hence they become an object of desire. We are attracted to the forbiddenfor what we cannot achieve or that requires us to give the best of each one.

Because Lotauro not only refers to one’s own physical beauty. What about the lust for money? How many people dream of achieving success in the professional field? Don’t you know individuals who would give everything to live in a way that is currently unattainable for them, barring a great stroke of luck?

Do we value the price we pay for our effort?

Now, just because something seems unattainable doesn’t mean it is. In general, Nobody gets to where they are by chance or because it was given to them as a gift.. It is evident that the higher the goal, the more complex it is to achieve. However, that does not make it impossible. In fact, the fact that someone has achieved it is the best proof that it is possible.

At this point, I propose the following question:we are really willing to pay the price? Some authors such as David Fischman or José D’Molina have worked in this field.

According to these specialists, Before looking for a goal it is advisable to ask yourself certain questions. Do I really know what goal I am looking to achieve? Is it really valuable to me? Why do I crave that achievement so strongly? Will the price be very high? Do I really have the decision to pay the enormous effort it will cost?

Because let’s not fool ourselves, Achieving a lofty goal requires great determination, but it also implies accepting a high risk. Also, remember that whatever decision you make or have made, you will be the main person responsible for it. In many cases you will even be the only one responsible.

Therefore, both authors conclude by saying that everything worth has a price. Then it will be more or less valued, but what we are going to pay will weigh on the achievement. You have to invest large doses of talent, time, money, knowledge and much more. Consider that there is something that most people who sense or know that they are going to die agree on: true wealth is measured in seconds.

It is not surprising that the authors draw a clear conclusion. Yes, what costs the most is more valued, although not always or necessarily.. On the other hand, what we value will not always be maintained over time. In fact, you yourself will realize, if you look at the past, that there are achievements that you once valued in a certain way and today you do so in another. In this sense we could also say that time acts with a certain justice, it usually enhances the goals but also the amount of effort invested, so that the direction of the balance rarely changes.

What does seem true, based on the studies cited in this article, is that We feel a certain attraction to the forbidden or the expensive.. Thus, this natural inclination is a great breeding ground for motivation. However, let us not forget before deciding to undertake a project that its achievement will have a price that we rarely consciously value. Think that people live on illusion, but not only on it.

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