Intrinsic Value

In my last post, I wrote about feeling under appreciated, which ended with a statement about intrinsic value. In this post, I’d like to elaborate more about that.

To begin with, let’s define what intrinsic value is. Intrinsic value is something that is of a value in it of itself. To put it more simply, a thing has value independent of external worth (money, accolades, approval, etc.).

For example, a work of art or a song has intrinsic value despite its monetary worth because of the meaning and value it has for us. In this sense, doesn’t everything have an intrinsic value? Yes, in the subjective sense. If we go to a museum, certain paintings have more value to us than other ones. Also, certain types of art, such as modern or classical, having more value to us, broadly speaking. And this goes for products at stores, and types of colors, etc. All the nuances that go with intrinsic value depends on our preferences–what we assign value to.

But in the context of my last post, I was speaking of intrinsic value in terms of pursuits–which occupations, jobs, or hobbies we value compared to ones we don’t. And this leads into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, which is a huge topic in it of itself. Intrinsic motivation means we pursue what we is meaningful to us, and extrinsic motivation means we pursue something for materialistic reasons.

To pursue something for its intrinsic value, we’re essentially pursuing our happiness–the love of the work itself. The extrinsic value could be practical–to have money, to acquire things we need for our daily lives (food, clothing, etc.). Both are important, of course. But the intrinsic value is where inspiration, creativity, and the passion for work lie.