The Value of Comparison and Appreciation

Measurement is an act of evaluating a specific quality of something, and comparison plays a vital role in this evaluation process. In the same fashion, we only see value of what we have after comparing ourselves with others. The evidence to support this fact is pervasive in our lives. It is a well-known fact that water is a crucial element in our lives. It is the medium of the metabolism process of our body. In addition, we use water to cook, clean, bathe and so on. To many people, who live in a modern world with developed infrastructure, water is only a diminutive matter. All they have to do is turning a faucet, and they can get as much water as they need. However, our African friends are not that lucky. According to a recent report, roughly one million of African are living in water crisis. For a family to have water in one day, these people, especially women, have to go a long, dangerous and exhausting path to the nearest ponds, lakes or rivers to fetch a few liters of water. After knowing this astonishing fact, many people will probably realize the value of water they use everyday. Also take note of Huyen Trang, an examplary Vietnamese philanthropist mentioned in a local newspaper last year. She was not a successful entrepreneur or inherited a fortune from anyone. In fact, she was only a nurse, who was working in an Homeless Handicapped Children Camp. Due to the lack of financial aid and volunteers, the Camp was on the verge of closing. Nevertheless, Trang was the only one who resisted. For three months, she contributed her own money to the Camp and stayed there to take care of nearly fifty unfortunate lives before the Camp’s story reached other wealthy philanthropists. In the end, Trang said to the reporters; seeing these poor creatures, she was so grateful to have a complete body and a happy family. This appreciation was the motivation for her deed. These examples clearly show the fact that we only see value of what we have after a comparison with