Do you believe that we are all EQUAL in overall significance, regardless of our health, wealth, fame, popularity, etc.?

[Praying 4 a Miracle]

One example of what I mean by this question, would be someone like Elon Musk. This ambitious fellow, the last time I checked (Sept. 30, 2024), had a net worth of $270 billion USD, making him the richest man on Earth. I also hear that he's on target to become the world's first trillionaire. He also has 12 children from three wives.

So when we compare a guy like this to the rest of us, at first glance, it doesn't seem like we are equal at all. However, even the mighty Elon is not going to live forever. And in the end, even he is not taking a dime of his money with him.

Back when I owned my fast food restaurant, I had a business colleague that had a net worth of 3.5 billion USD, who passed away a few years back from cancer. He was the founder of the entire chain, and he did have an incredible life, but he was only 67 when he died.

I remember being shocked, and thinking holy cow, I would be so pissed off if I died with that much money in the bank. The sad irony of it, is that I am now in fact a millionaire who has thoughts of suicide. It just proves that without your health, it's really hard to enjoy wealth.

I remember that I had an idea once that improved customer service in my restaurant. It was a tech gadget, and I figured since it was a global franchise, if it works for me it'll work for everyone. So I sent him an email and explained it to him, and he absolutely loved the idea, so he forwarded the email worldwide, to every franchisee and development agent in the chain.

Apparently his office was flooded with calls from people who wanted to know more details about the idea. So he asked me to send another email explaining every possible detail, so that his phone would stop ringing.

I never got any money for that idea, but I was absolutely thrilled that he would value the opinion of a little guy like me, who only owned one restaurant. I'm a Canadian, and there's franchisees down in the US who own 30 of these things, and are filthy rich themselves.

I guess my point with this, is it may not seem like we're equal at all in this life, but in reality I think we are. We are all biologically fragile, no matter how much money we have or do not have. There's actually been quite a few insanely wealthy celebrities in fact, who have passed away from tragic accidents and suicide in recent years.

I remember when I heard about Anthony Bourdain, the traveling celebrity chef from CNN (Parts Unknown was his show I believe). I was shocked, he had fame and fortune and everything that goes along with it. It's really hard to understand why someone with that much good going on in his life, would want to pack it in. Same with Robin Williams, I mean he had his own personal assistant for Pete's sake!

I mean, it just proves that absolutely anyone in life, no matter how blessed or charmed their life is, can have a health accident or crisis, and end up suffering intensely.

When you look at the really big picture, it definitely does seem like we're all equal after all. We all have fragile bodies, we all have very similar needs and desires, and we all pass away in the end, leaving all of our assets, and many of our loved ones behind.

This may seem like a really depressing thought, but it's not really, because it's just life. That's the deal, and it's a similar deal for all of us. My personal opinion is that we are indeed equal in overall significance. No matter how much money, notoriety, success, happiness, sadness, health or disability. Elon Musk, Taylor Swift, or someone who doesn't have a penny to their name. All of us, 100% equal in significance. But that's just my opinion, I'd love to hear yours!

 

[opheliaoveragain]

I agree with you. We arrive alone, and we leave alone. What comes after is the greatest mystery. No money or status or clout or following changes the fact that we all die eventually, it's a matter of how and when.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

I mean, everyone is equal in death at the end of the day. A lot of the value we assign to others is based on arbitrary measures that, at the end of the day, don't really mean anything. The perceived value that we assign to everything doesn't exist outside of our minds. Those who are on top and who hold all the power aren't inherently different from the average Joe. All of this basically meaningless and doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Eventually, our species will go extinct and the planet will die off, so to act as those subjective views on who is better than who is anything other than just pure bullshit is ridiculous. Nobody is inherently above anyone else, we just put certain people on a pedestal because that's what we're taught to do.

 

[LifeQuitter]

Nicely written and easy to read. I might start using bold text to write my posts.

 

[TheLonelyReaper]

The answer is as simple as death, no. We are not equal.

 

[wondering&wandering]

I'd say we're equal. We're all humans; (and depending on your beliefs) we all have souls. The value of all is the same in my mind.

Although, some people start to value other people over others. It makes sense why; but still, it's partly the reason why we ended up messed up as a species in my opinion.

 

[UnnervedCompany]

I agree with you and this post reminded me of Elizabeth's the second death. Probably one of the most revered human beings in this century yet was gone in an instant and now there is very little people who thinks about her. The only significance you have is for the people you help and hurt. I don't think everyone is significant equally in the eyes of everyone. It depends on how you use your status to affect people. Let's take this as an example: There is a child who knows both of his grand parent pairs, the dad's side of the grand parents provide him attention he wants, defend him when he drops a vase on the floor and overall are wonderful people to the child. The mom's side of the grandparents are rich successful people who own their own companies and do not hang out with the child well due to how busy they are. The mom's grandparents are popular and are significant to the lives of those under their companies but for the grandchild who does not know them well; their lives have little significance to him.

Significance is only measured by those who are living that you affect but it still means we are equal in many things such as the threads of morality. A famous billionaire who kills someone SHOULD be equally as hated and punished as a regular 9-5 minimum wage lonely person who kills someone.

Hopefully you understand what I mean I am writing this when my lecturer is lecturing about Paradise Lost.

Also as a fellow Canadian can you pay for my tuition pweeze (Just joking)

 

[AvaCutey]

Humans are hardwired to achieve higher statuses in the fields and communities they are a part of; its natural. And when meeting someone new, you always try to fit them into your personal web of importance. That's why people always ask, "What do you do for work?" and "Oh, what do you do in your free time?". I'm guilty of it, and I will, weather I want it or not, judge them. Just based on appearance and the first conversation, I will rank the importance of them to me and where I place them in my worldview of the status hierarchy.

I hate the limitations of my brain.

What really matters is someone's significance to you and your life. Ultimately, this question is subjective. Personally, I will always value those close to me more than people who are strangers to me, its very normal not to care about people you don't know. On a universal scale, everything is equally unimportant, but we live on earth in advanced steel and concrete huts, bumbling around. And day to day, its much easier, more convenient, and arguably more useful to value some people over others.

 

[killorbekilled]

Humans put values on the lives of everyone and everything, so we aren't equal when we are alive, only in death. There is also sentimental value to each person, causing someone to believe someone is worth more than another. In reality, we are all equal at the end of the day, no matter what anyone believes.

 

[chester]

If by overall significance you mean impact we can make, then no, we're not equal. I work a corporate job and and the biggest impact I can make is maybe do some stuff that would contribute to the growth of the company and maybe teach some people something useful. Meanwhile some scientist can discover how to slow aging or cure diabetes. Yes, we'll both die eventually, but the significance of my existence will never even come close to that of someone who makes a life-changing breakthrough.