The Value Of Joy To The World By Roger Ebert

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Recommended: Personal values and attitudes

Life is valued differently by each person, and the scenarios and environment surrounding each person can influence their perception of the value of life. Since this is true, the value of life is rather situational, but everyone holds their individual thoughts and beliefs regarding life and its value. Personally, as stated by Roger Ebert, human life is valuable as it can be used to help other people, and it is morally misguided to to place a monetary value to an individual’s life; however, if a life-crippling illness significantly affects someone’s quality of life, they may certainly view their value of life much less when compared to a healthy person.
Roger Ebert has suffered significantly in his life, but he holds onto the belief that everyone has a purpose to spread joy and happiness to those around them, and this aligns sufficiently with the personal beliefs stated. As explained by Ebert, “We must try to contribute joy to the world” and this …show more content…

If someone suffers from a painful, life-threatening disease or one that completely emotionally destroys them, then they may hold less value within their own life due to an overwhelming feeling of defeat and lack of purpose; however, as seen with Robert Ebert, that is not always the case. He has remained able to stay positive throughout his cancer and the loss of his jaw, and constantly advocates for the others to follow his path and spread joy despite what their conditions may be. On the contrast, Hamlet would much rather die than have to suffer alive, and sees suicide as a viable option to avoid death. Ebert values his life through hardships, while Hamlet does not and refuses to. Taking these two differing dynamics into account, it absolutely comes down to how a person views their own life, their past experiences and their present conflictions when determining if illness can derail them from valuing their own

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