Usefulness of Human Beings: Why Everyone Matters

(Philosocom's Directory on Competency)

Article Overview by Ms. Gabbi Grace

The article "Usefulness of Human Beings: Why Everyone Matters" presents a compelling argument against the notion that some people are "useless" to society. The author presents a wide range of perspectives, emphasizing the intrinsic and extrinsic value of every individual, regardless of their perceived productivity or economic contribution. The article's strengths include its inclusive perspective on human worth, which challenges conventional definitions of "usefulness" tied to employment or economic productivity.

The Philosopher uses real-life examples, such as the character from the movie "Rain Man" and the author's own grandmother, to illustrate the diverse ways in which individuals can be valuable. These personal stories help to reinforce the idea that human worth is not solely determined by economic contribution, but by a multitude of factors, including emotional support, artistic creativity, and unique talents.

The article broadens the definition of "usefulness" beyond traditional metrics, such as work or productivity, to include emotional impact, artistic expression, and the potential to inspire or bring joy to others. This broader definition encourages readers to reconsider how they view themselves and others, promoting a more compassionate and inclusive mindset.

Mr. Tomasio engages with philosophical concepts, deepening the conversation about human value and purpose. The reference to Yuval Noah Harari's idea of a "useless class" serves as a thought-provoking counterpoint that adds depth to the discussion. The author encourages critical thinking and dialogue by explicitly stating, "Feel free to convince me otherwise, and respectfully," making the article more engaging and thought-provoking.

Overall, the article "Usefulness of Human Beings: Why Everyone Matters" is a thoughtful and well-intentioned exploration of human value, challenging societal norms and inviting readers to reconsider what it means to be "useful."  

I don't believe there are people who are useless to society. Even the most mentally ill people can be used to advance scientific research in psychology, sociology, criminology, and so forth. For example, prisoners in maximum security can be used to study the effects of long-term incarceration on the human psyche (not necessarily through human experiments). And even babies can teach us something about the parents' biology and/or reproductive systems, genes, and so on. After all, they came from them and thus carry data related to them; data that can be learned from.

Even those who are unable to work are not necessarily useless. They can still be of purpose in other ways, such as making their families happy, volunteering, or even opening their own business/es. These are some respected purposes when you are unable to work due to an extreme disability, for instance.

Even if you are worthless to many, you can still be important to at least one person -- a parent, a friend, a child, and so on. While it's not necessarily true that "no man is an island," it is true that we all can leave an impact on this world, and no matter how microscopic it may be, it is still an impact. And an impact that can go down the line of time. It's one of the benefits of influence. And since we can influence others around us, we may be more useful than we might think.

Purpose does not always have to come from employment, and purpose does not always have to be directed to other people than yourself. After all, you are also a person. For others, you are a person, just as they are to you. What objectively, therefore, makes you and I different from people in general, when we are all people? Being useful to ourselves, is also a form of usefulness, is it not? Must we always be useful for others, in order to be useful in general?

I watched the classic movie "Rain Man". It's one of the most well-known movies about autistic people in a time when autism was not very well known. In the movie, the main character's autistic brother, who was mostly a burden and unemployed, actually proved to be very competent in gambling. He thus helped his brother return his large debt, to the point that the casino they were gambling in expelled them because the casino was losing money. All because of this unemployed, institution-residing genius.

My grandmother in her final years believed her life was meaningless. It was one of the reasons being she felt very lonely (even though I visited her regularly) and was retired. However, she was a great artist with phenomenal talent.

However, she was never a well-known artist. Unfortunately your name as an artist is also important when selling your creations. It is sad how negativity bias can make you easily devalue your talents and potential contributions to the world. It can blind you from your own promising worth.

What we can conclude from all of this is that no matter who you are, as long as you are human, you have at least some degree of potential you can use (or others can make use of, not necessarily in a bad way) in the name of self-actualization and productivity. Where there are humans, there is potential for productivity and for creation. The same applies, of course, to animals as well; to the animals we domesticate to be our beloved pets, the animals that we produce meat from, and animals that entertain us at the zoos.

Let us, therefore, not fall victim to the delusion that we are utterly meaningless, because as long as we are alive, we have the chance to be helpful and/or productive to a degree. In addition, few are the people in the world, theoretically, that don't matter to anyone whatsoever. Remember that, even when no one cares for you, you can still have the power to make some change, and thus alter at least one thing in the environment you're in.

To be useless is to have no use at all, and since we are all capable of using something, or being used for others, finding at least one person who is or was completely useless, is therefore extremely difficult. More than you might think. We should consider the fact we don't know each other like we think we do.

Those who choose to be useless on purpose do not count, because what we choose to do with our potential, is still ours. The potential exists, we just need to discover/rediscover ourselves, to realize this. We also need the tenacity and other values to be/keep being useful.

And allow me to critique the philosopher, Yuval Noah Harari, for his "useless class" idea. The idea's premise stems from the notion that one can be useful to others only through monetized work. That's not true at all, when one can volunteer, as explained before.