Do I Justify My Place in the World?
I often wonder if I justify the resources I consume—the food, the water, the space I take up in this world. It’s a question that weighs on me, especially because I don’t have a job. Without a job, I don’t have that external measure of worth, that tangible way of saying, I contributed this, and it justifies what I take in return. For people like me, who rely on government support or other means of income not directly tied to labor, it’s easy to feel like we’re not pulling our weight. The results of our efforts aren’t always obvious or immediate, and that can leave us questioning our value. Finding Worth Beyond Work Society often ties self-worth to productivity. We’re taught to believe that our value comes from what we produce, how much we earn, and the roles we fill in the economy. But what happens when you don’t fit neatly into that framework? For me, the answer has been to look inward. Instead of measuring my worth by traditional standards, I ask myself: Am I creating something meanin...