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value
/ˈvæljuː/
The word operates on a spectrum between objective quantification and subjective appreciation. In its most literal sense, it refers to the cold, hard number assigned to an asset in a marketplace—a factual measurement of worth. When shifted toward utility or emotion, it describes the perceived benefit or significance of something. This is less about price and more about 'usefulness' or 'meaning.' To value someone's friendship is an act of emotional investment, contrasting with valuing a piece of jewelry for its gold content. In the plural form ('values'), the word transforms into a moral compass. It refers to the internal architecture of beliefs that dictate right from wrong, moving the concept from external worth to internal integrity.
💬Trò chuyện
Mark, please tell me you didn't just tank the value of the whole account.
Chill. I'm just winging it until David checks the numbers.
Ý nghĩa
The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, utility, or worth of something.
"I fail to see the value in spending hours on this task."
A person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.
"Family values are central to their culture."
Ví dụ
I really value your honesty, even if it hurts.
Look, the market value just plummeted! We have to sell!
I simply don't see any value in this project anymore.
Our family values don't allow for that kind of behavior!
What do you value most in a potential employee?
The value of this ring is honestly quite low.
I value our friendship too much to lie to you.
The appraiser will value the estate by tomorrow morning.
I think this old watch has some real value.
He doesn't share my values when it comes to money.
Cụm từ kết hợp
market value
The amount for which something can be sold on a competitive market.
face value
The nominal value of a security or the apparent value of something at first glance.
family values
Moral standards and beliefs centered on the family unit.
added value
Additional features or benefits that increase the worth of a product or service.
nutritional value
The amount of vitamins, minerals, and energy provided by food.
Thành ngữ & Tục ngữ
value for money
Something that is well worth the money spent on it.
face value
The apparent value of something, or accepting something as it appears without further investigation.
added value
Additional features or benefits that make a product or service more attractive or valuable.
market value
The amount for which something can be sold on the open market.
Bối cảnh văn hóa
In the realm of classical economics, there exists a fascinating puzzle known as the 'Paradox of Value,' first articulated by Adam Smith. The paradox asks a deceptively simple question: why is water, which is absolutely essential for human survival, so cheap, while diamonds, which serve no practical purpose other than ornamentation, command such an astronomical value?
To solve this, economists eventually moved away from the idea of 'use-value' (the utility of an object) and toward 'exchange-value.' The breakthrough came with the concept of marginal utility. Imagine you are stranded in a desert. In that moment, the first glass of water has near-infinite value because it saves your life. However, if you were standing next to a freshwater lake, the 'marginal' value of one more gallon of water is practically zero because your need is already satisfied.
Diamonds, conversely, remain rare. Because they are scarce, the marginal utility of obtaining one more diamond remains high. Thus, the market value of an object isn't determined by its total usefulness to humanity, but by how much we value the very next unit of that good available to us.
This psychological shift reveals a profound truth about human nature: our perception of value is not absolute, but relative. We don't value things based on their intrinsic essence, but based on scarcity and desire. This explains why a rare postage stamp or a digital NFT can be worth millions while the air we breathe—the most valuable substance in the universe for a biological organism—is free. The Paradox of Value teaches us that our economy is not a mirror of necessity, but a map of human longing and rarity.