It seems to me that we humans, spend a fair amount of time trying to distance ourselves from our human traits and capacities. Somewhere along the line of human history, the western mind at least, became influenced by the notion that productivity and value can be measured in terms of linear output. This plays out in the ways that we view successes and failures in life and how we might position ourselves in society. The fastest runner gets a medal, the highest test scorer gets into the best school, the wealthiest among us assume the most power, “to the victors go the spoils.” Here we see the conundrum of the meritocracy, where by elevating one, due to a comparative level of achievement, and an aspirational perspective towards progress, we can unwittingly negate the value of others.  

Now this is not to challenge or disparage the concept of the meritocracy, striving to do the best with what we have, and elevating our capacity to serve might be considered worthy attributes to live by. I’m reminded of a tour I attended at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The guide was showing us a totem pole and noted that the person being memorialized was considered very wealthy because he had given all of his belongings away three times. In this case, the value of the human was measured not by what was accumulated or their skills, but by how they used their skills to support the rest of the humans in their clan.  The wondering here is whether a look into our sense of being human might contribute to the elevation of our entire species (not to mention our interaction with other energy systems and beings on the planet). 

How does one measure the value of a smile, a walk in the park, the loss of a loved one or a glimmer of hope?  

I Feel Like Number

So much of our world today appears designed to make humans into machines. In many fields, we are numbers driven to the point of putting the data ahead of the people that might be served. Profits in business, achievement scores in schools, “Likes” on a social media post, wins and losses on a sports team. Our metaphors glorify people that can operate with “machine-like” precision. Our leaders identify constituents in terms of their demographic status. We often look at efficiency solely in terms of material output, when we might also look for value in terms of our human dispositions and potential. 

From a human perspective, one might find value in more than quantifiable outcomes. We can find value in emotion, relationships, and experiences. We have much to give to each other and the earth that goes beyond the tangible, material, measurable things that seem to take precedence in our lives. How does one measure the value of a smile, a walk in the park, the loss of a loved one or a glimmer of hope?  

Giving Grace

Many years ago, I worked on the Princess Rail Tour from Anchorage to Fairbanks. One morning on arrival at work, we were kept back from the train cars because one of the workers had filled the diesel generator gas tank with regular gasoline and there was concern of an explosion. A bystander commented, “someone’s getting fired today!” Another person responded, “I hope not, that’s exactly the person that you want to keep on. They will never make that mistake again. If you fire them, you’ve given all the experience they’ve gained to their next employer.” We as humans can appreciate failure as much as we value success. Over 30 years later, I still think back on that day with gratitude as it has given me strength not only to give grace to others, but to give myself grace as a learner that’s on a path of growth.   

Humans are not machines.